Worth the Trouble
by QueenofOld
Summary: Steve and Natasha have a night of fun during a retreat to Tony Stark's beach house. They agreed it would just be a casual encounter, but neither of them could stick to that agreement for very long. When their affair is discovered, chaos erupts, lives are changed and the team is forced to deal with the fallout that results from their attraction to each other.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello readers! I'm back! (sorta). I'm venturing to guess that many of you are readers who have read my previous Wolverine/Rogue fics. I still love that fandom, but was bitten by the Avenger bug, so hopefully you enjoy my work enough to stick around and give this ship a shot!**_

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**Rating: M**

**Warnings: Explicit sex, slight non-consensual sexual encounters, violence and profanity**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. **

******_A/N: In an effort to establish the characters (as I see them) in this story, this first chapter is going to be in first person, but all following chapters will be in third person._ **

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**~Steve~**

The first time I laid eyes on the infamous Black Widow, I was taken aback at how beautiful she was. How could this gorgeous creature be a deadly and dangerous world-renowned spy?

After the initial few moments of staring at her, I put her beauty and the fact that she bore some similarities to the one I'd loved over 70 years ago out of my mind. Like the good soldier I am, I put my duties first…or so I thought.

My decision to keep her on the ground with me during the Battle of Manhattan had just a little to do with the fact that I wanted to be near her and watch over her…not that she needed it. When I gave her a boost with my shield so that she could jump onto one of the hovercrafts of the invading alien attackers, I was amazed at her fearlessness and strength.

But again, my role as Captain America pushed all fleeting thoughts of affection from my mind. I was concerned for her only because she was my teammate.

When the fight was won and Loki had been successfully returned to Asgard along with Thor, Tony Stark invited the remaining team members to his expansive beach house in the Hamptons for a little R&R.

Just three days after saving the world, the Avengers were on vacation.

I slowly walked through the foyer and looked around. Tony jogged down the stairs and threw his hands up, "There he is, Mr. Stars and Stripes himself, come to rip off the flag and let loose…not literally, I hope. I have strict rules against streaking. Can I offer you a beer?"

"Uh, sure. Am I the first to arrive?"

"Yes, you are. I wonder if traffic's a problem today. Probably should've had the jet pick everyone up", Tony led me into the kitchen, where he plucked a beer out of the fridge and popped the cap before handing it to me.

I took a swig of the beer and shifted uneasily on my feet, "So...the whole team is coming?"

"With the obvious exception of Thor, who is probably having the world's most uncomfortable family dinner at this very moment, yes. Everyone is coming. It'll be a riot. We'll braid each other's hair, play truth or dare…it'll be awesome."

I smirked and rolled my eyes as the quick-witted billionaire began pouring himself his own drink. Despite a rocky start, the guy had grown on me. I remembered his father well and could recognize some of the same enigmatic personality traits in Tony.

Bruce Banner arrived soon after we finished our first drink. He was soon followed by Clint and Natasha.

I was a little confused by the pang of jealousy that invaded my gut when I watched them walk in together.

I favored both Clint and Natasha with a polite nod and smile when they entered the kitchen, but allowed my gaze to linger on Natasha for a little too long.

Eventually, we were all sitting around the kitchen table with drinks, laughing and talking.

Despite the fact that we were only a team for a few days, we shared an intense bond. After all of the atrocities we'd witnessed both as a team and as individuals, we were able to laugh together.

I stared at Natasha as she briefly tossed her head back in a carefree moment of laughter.

I couldn't help but smile.

I'd never seen her like that before. Heck, I'd never even seen her smile before.

In this moment, with her head tilted back and her mouth slightly open in melodic laughter, she looked even more beautiful than she ever had.

**~Natasha~**

I'm a world-class spy. I've had the highest level of training and study in virtually every facet of human behavior. I can kill a man with my hands tied behind my back and a blind fold on.

It's pretty easy for me to realize when a guy seated 6 feet away is staring at me.

At first, I thought that the stolen glances and longing looks were all in my head…but now, with him holding me under that intense, blue gaze, I knew that my suspicions were confirmed.

I struggle to keep from shuddering as I notice his longing glances. I'm just glad that everyone else in the room is too drunk or too entertained to take notice.

In a moment of boldness…or stupidity, I meet his gaze head-on.

He doesn't look away, he doesn't flinch…he simply stares into my eyes with the same intensity I'd been desperately trying to avoid.

I crack a smile and look away in an effort to break the connection, but that action does little to calm the fluttering of my heart.

I quickly stand and ask Tony where the nearest bathroom is.

After he slurs directions to me, I hastily exit the room.

I stand in the bathroom for a few moments, staring at my reflection. I just helped save the world from a bunch of extraterrestrial monsters. I should be able to handle being stared at by a…devastatingly handsome, sweet, all-American superhero.

The first time I saw Steve, I sized him up the way I do all men when I first meet them…but I immediately realized that there was something special about this sweet, innocent all-American boy. I'd never met someone so…good.

In my line of work, you meet a lot of men with a lot of really nasty skeletons in their closet…even Clint.

Steve was the only guy who was literally good for the sake of being good. There were no ulterior motives to his deeds. He's brave, smart and pure at heart. All traits I never thought I cared much about...until I met him. He's the man every other guy wishes they had the courage to be…and it didn't take me very long to realize that.

I have to admit…I actually got a little turned on when I watched him take charge and give orders to our team. He was so sure…so intense...

I snap out of my reverie and quickly splash some water on my face before drying off and turning to exit the bathroom.

As soon as I open the door, I nearly slam into Steve's broad chest.

I almost curse and step back, "Holy sh…Steve! You scared me."

"Sorry. I just…I had to use the facilities myself and-"

"Oh. Right. I was just splashing some water on my face."

His eyes are so piercing, I feel like I'm going to get crushed under the pressure of their intensity.

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

I nod, "You can call me Nat, Steve…and yeah. I'm fine. Are you doing OK?"

Steve sighed and leaned back against the opposite wall, "Well…to be honest, now that the fighting's over, I'm challenged with the task of having to figure out how to fit into today's world."

I favor him with a slight smile, "You're a smart guy, Cap. You'll figure it out."

He smiles at me a sweetly and nods, "Yeah…thanks for the vote of confidence."

The comfortable silence was ended when Clint, Tony and Bruce ambled around the corner toward us.

Clint, who was completely unaware of the way Steve and I were staring at each other, pointed toward the back of the house, "Wanna check out the beach?"

Steve stays rooted in his spot, staring at me. For some reason, I'm hesitant to walk away. I want everyone to leave…I want to be left alone with him…I want to strip him down and-

"Are you guys coming?" yelled Tony from the back of the house.

My feet move on their own accord, but my eyes stay on his until just before I exit the back door.

That evening, I lay awake in one of Tony's many guest bedrooms, unable to relax in my new surroundings. I need a nightcap…or a good workout.

I settle on a nightcap since my muscles were still a little achy from saving the world a few days back.

The last of my fellow Avengers had successfully dumped their inebriated carcasses into bed, so I neglected to put a robe on over my black cotton negligée.

I padded out into the hallway and silently made my way down the stairs.

My abilities as a spy came in handy…even when off-duty.

When I made it downstairs, I felt my body relax. They'd left a back door open, so the sounds and smell of the lapping ocean waves gently wafted into the house.

The promise of a cool ocean breeze lured me to the back door.

I stood on the patio for several moments before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath in.

My moment of zen was abruptly interrupted by a rumbling, yet warm voice behind me.

Goddamnit! How did such a big guy move so quietly?!

I turned to see Steve sitting on one of the couches on the patio. He sets his beer down on a nearby table and sat up, "Couldn't sleep?"

When I saw that he was shirtless, I briefly forgot how to speak. Matters were made worse when he stood up and began walking toward me.

Holy shit, he was perfect.

"I…I…I…no. I don't sleep a lot…"

Steve raised an eyebrow as he closed in on me, getting far closer than I was normally comfortable with, "Me neither. When I sleep…I dream…and that's never a good thing."

"Nightmares?" I ask knowingly.

He sighed and shrugged his immense shoulders, "Memories."

I nod in agreement. Hazy memories and reminders of my shady past haunted my nights, so I typically avoid sleep if I can as well.

"It's the same for me. I feel like I wake up feeling even less rested than I was when I laid down the night before."

He looks down into my eyes, then over my head toward the ocean, "This is nice, though. Being here…with the team…unwinding."

With those words, his eyes dropped back down to meet mine.

My breath hitches in my throat and I struggle to keep my cool as I nod my head in agreement, "Yeah. The team needs a break. Fury kind of made it sound like we're earth's official front line against all extraterrestrial hostiles. That kind of pressure can take its toll on you."

He stares down at me, so I clear my throat in an effort to break his eye contact. When it doesn't, I decide to confront him head-on. After all, it's rude to stare…even if it does all sorts of weird, funny stuff to my stomach.

"Is something bothering you, Captain?"

Steve searches my eyes, "No. Not bothering me…I just…I've never seen you like this."

"Like what?"

"Relaxed. It suits you."

I take a step back and cross my arms over my midsection, "So…my being relaxed is the reason why you've been staring at me all night?"

He laughs nervously, but somehow, he seems more confident than I do at the moment…

"I'm sorry. I guess it's just…I'm seeing the team interact for the first time outside of being at war. I guess you could say I'm taking it all in."

I nod, "Yeah."

"How long are you and Clint planning on staying?"

"What makes you think Clint and I would leave together?"

He stutters a little and runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair, "Uh…I guess I thought you two were a couple."

"Clint and I…" I pause in an effort to be sure that I'm choosing my words carefully. I nod a little, "We're good good friends."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "I kinda got a different feeling from you two."

I cock my head to the side, "Why does it matter, Captain?"

I don't know why I tormented him with this question. I know why it matters. I think I just want to hear him say it.

He almost blushes as he looks away briefly, then returns his gaze to mine, "I don't really know how to answer that question…"

I cock my head to the side, "Steve…we've saved the world together. Is now really the time to act shy?"

"I come from a generation where you took a gal out dancing or for walks in the park. This…new approach to relationships and-"

"Sex", I say, finishing his sentence for him.

Surprisingly, he doesn't look uncomfortable when I say the word. This is surprising to me.

"Yes…this new approach is somethin' a guy from my generation isn't really good at."

"With all due respect, Captain…the people of your generation were sexually repressed. Now, people see what they want and go for it. It's much more freeing."

I watch his confidence blossom as he takes a step forward, "So…say I see something I want…what do you suggest I do to get it?"

Every logical thought in my brain screams that this is wrong, but I can't help myself. My baser instincts take over, and before I know it, I'm on my tippy toes laying a sensual kiss against his lips.

**~Steve~**

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a virgin. I'm not the most experienced guy, but I'm definitely not a virgin.

During my tenure as Captain America: the Entertainer, I had a couple of brief encounters with one of the chorus girls who traveled with the show. I'm fairly certain the tour manager put her up to it in an effort to make a man out of me, but, at that particular time, I didn't think I'd have a snowball's chance in hell with Peggy…so I went for it.

That was nearly 70 years ago. Now, the Black Widow…aka, one of the world's most gorgeous women…was kissing me.

It takes me a moment before I'm able to regain control of my limbs and wrap my arms around her lithe form.

The kiss ends and she leans back to look up at me.

"Your room or mine?" she asks matter-of-factly.

I'm trying not to let the surprise at her abruptness show on my face as I speak, "Mine is down here."

"Lead the way, captain."

I lead her back to my room before closing and locking the door behind her. As soon as the lock slides into place, she begins removing the straps of her nightgown.

I hold my hands up, which causes her to freeze in place. Natasha raises a perfectly arched brow at me, "Something wrong?"

"No. I was just…I wanted to do that."

Natasha smirks a little, "Captain, let's not make this any more confusing than it already is. This is just sex, OK?"

Despite the fact that I whole heartedly disagree with that sentiment, I nod my head.

She starts to go back to removing her nightgown, but I hold up a hand again, stopping her.

The spy watches me intently as I walk over to her and turn her around to face away from me. My fingertips ghost over the soft skin of her arms before I bring my hands up to her shoulders to gently remove the strap.

I hear her gasp as I slowly trail soft kisses up her shoulder to her neck before reaching around her to push the flimsy fabric of her nightgown away from her chest so that I can cup her supple breast.

I knead the soft, plump flesh as I hungrily kiss and nip at the nape of her neck.

Natasha practically hums in approval as her body bucks back into mine. When she does that, she immediately feels how much I want her.

One of my hands continues to caress her breast while my other reaches beneath the bottom of her nightgown to grab a hold of the waistband of her panties. She's caught by surprise when I rip her panties from her body, eliciting a lust-filled gasp.

I'm guessing she's surprised, since, up until that moment, all of my actions had been soft, gentle and borderline hesitant.

This move ignites something within her, because she suddenly jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.

We kiss and stumble around the room until we finally collapse onto the bed. I land on top of her, but she quickly and easily flips me over as she yanks my pants down, freeing my cock from its confines.

We stare at each other as she slowly lowers herself onto my length. We both struggle to keep from closing our eyes as the pleasure overwhelms us both. I moan as she settles on top of me and begins to roll her hips in slow, sensual circles.

I grab a handful of the front of her nightgown and rip it from her body, which causes her movements to quicken. It's easy to tell that she likes it a little rough, but I'm hesitant to go too far...this time.

My hands caress and squeeze her thighs before coming to rest on her perfectly sculpted ass. I slowly begin to help guide her movements, but she snatches my hands away and pins them to the bed.

I smirk. The Black Widow wants to play dirty.

I muster up enough strength to overpower her, effectively flipping her over and pinning her arms above her head as I begin to pound into her relentlessly.

She whimpers and moans loudly as I fuck her with all my might, struggling to maintain control over the climax that threatens to take hold of my body.

I just have to last until she cums…just long enough….

I don't remember letting go of her wrists, but soon, I'm desperately grasping at her thighs and burying my face in her neck, whispering her name reverently as I feel my body start to lose control.

Natasha drags her fingernails down my back and arches into me. I'm barely able to hear her cries of pleasure as I announce my own climax and begin to empty myself into her.

When her orgasm takes hold, her velvety folds clamp down on me, intensifying own climax.

Moments later, we're laying beside each other in contented silence as I trace my finger over one of the scars on her hip. She smiles, "Got that one during a weapons sting in North Korea. Shrapnel from a frag grenade."

I lean down and kiss the scar which makes her smile widen, "How long has it been since you last had sex?"

I place another kiss against the round of her hip, "70 years…"

"Wow. Well, it doesn't seem like you're out of practice at all, Cap."

I smirk, "I guess you can say that sex is like dancing. As long as one of us knows what we're doing, it'll turn out alright."

She scoots over to press her body against mine and kiss my lips, "Oh, I think you're more than alright."

I kiss her back and smile before staring down into her eyes. By now, dawn was breaking, and the soft, pink light of a new day glistened against her face.

I gently trace a finger down her cheek and whisper, "You're beautiful, Natasha."

I watch as her expression of post-coital euphoria falters and changes into one I can't quite decipher. She quickly kisses my lips and rests her forehead against mine for a few moments before she gets out of bed, "Do you have a shirt I can borrow? I have to get back to my room before the house wakes up."

I nod and pull on my pants before walking to my suitcase to grab one of my button-down flannel shirts. When she slips it on, I struggle not to snatch her back into my bed. She's practically swimming in the shirt and has to roll up the sleeves just to have use of her hands.

It looks perfect on her.

I walk to the door with her and slowly open it. She pauses and glances out into the hallway to be sure no one is coming. When she's satisfied that the coast is clear, she looks up at me, "I had fun tonight."

I don't really know what to say to that, so I just kiss her and murmur, "me too", before watching her slip out of my room.

When she's gone, I plop back down on the bed and cover my face with my hands.

What happened here tonight was more than just "fun" to both of us. I felt her need…her desire…and her passion in every touch. She was mine now…whether either of us wanted to openly admit it or not, and I had a sinking feeling that the ramifications of this evening would have lasting effects on our team and our lives.

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**Hello all! I'm new to this fandom, so I hope I've done the characters justice. Please review and let me know what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Please forgive any mistakes in this chapter. No time to really proofread and I don't have a beta, so sorry for any weirdness/misspellings/grammar/structural issues! Enjoy!**

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Natasha lay in her bed, tossing and turning.

This wasn't out of the ordinary for the Black Widow. She rarely slept, and when she did, she often found herself waking up in a cold sweat, screaming at the horrific visions that haunted her dreams.

That's one of the many reasons why she and Clint had managed to sleep together several times…yet never actually _sleep_ together.

Their encounters had been brief, quiet, and full of need, often occurring after an intense mission in which one or both of their lives were on the line in a very real way.

There was never any talking. Not before. Not during…and definitely not after.

Afterwards, she always wanted to say something…to ask what the hell they were doing…to find out how he felt about her…but she always chickened out. She would watch him pull up his pants out of the corner of her eye as she redressed, hoping he would meet her eyes…but he never did.

For months, she would give into her desperate need for release after putting her life on the line…until the Battle of Manhattan.

When she didn't go to him, he came to her, still wearing the grime, blood and sweat of the recent battle. Her body cried out in need for him…until she remembered everything he couldn't say on the Helicarrier.

She gave him the excuse of being too tired and too sore, so he left.

Now, she laid in her bed in her own apartment, two weeks after her encounter with Steve.

Natasha never had a problem separating sex from emotion…especially when, in her profession, she often had to use it to obtain the information. This time, however, she found herself thinking about Steve constantly and smiling at the memory of their night together.

He had been the first man to ever look her in the eyes and tell her that she was beautiful.

Of course, she'd heard "sexy", "pretty", and "gorgeous" a lot…but never "beautiful".

She sat up in her bed and ran a hand through her red curls before swinging her legs over the side of her bed and resting her forearms on her thighs, silently cursing herself for letting her emotions get to her.

Was some guy telling her she was beautiful enough to turn her world upside down?

Natasha stood and walked to her kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of water and leaned against the counter in deep thought.

This wasn't just "some guy", though. This was Steve Rogers. Captain America. All-around do-gooder and hero extraordinaire.

She strolled back to her bedroom with her glass of water in hand, chewing on her bottom lip. Tonight was a particularly rough night because she knew she was going to see Steve the next day.

Her stomach was full of butterflies and she still had a good 9 hours before she was supposed to run into him at SHIELD Headquarters.

The feeling confused her…so much so that she mistook her excitement for an upset stomach and quickly downed some Pepto Bismol before laying back down and willing herself back to sleep for a couple of hours.

The next day, she walked into the main conference room at SHIELD to find Steve, patiently waiting for his less-than-prompt fellow team members to walk in.

He quirked a half-smile as he stood, "Hey Natasha…"

"Captain", she said quickly, praying the intense beating of her heart didn't show on her face. She sat down in a spot as far away from him as she could, but he moved toward her.

Natasha stared at him as he took a seat next to her, "I wanted to call you…but I think the only people who know how to reach you are Fury and…uh…Clint."

"I know. I like my privacy."

He nods wordlessly, trying not to let her coldness affect him.

Natasha was successful in her attempts to remain distant toward him…until she looked into his genuine blue eyes.

She let out a breath and sighed, "Steve…I had a good time that night…but you know what we agreed…it was just a one-time deal."

"Correction, Agent Romanoff. We agreed it was just sex. We didn't agree that it was gonna be a one-time thing."

That statement catches her off-guard.

She stares at his smirking face with an expression of shock as the other team members file in, too engrossed in their own conversations to pay any mind to the tension between Natasha and Steve.

Somehow, they're both able to pay attention in the meeting. The Avengers (with the exception of Thor) had been reassembled to investigate a possible Bio-Terrorism threat in Asia.

Once they had been briefed, they were given their assignments.

Bruce would stay behind in the lab, analyzing the physical evidence SHIELD had collected from contaminated sites.

Tony and Clint would go to Laos to track down a lead regarding a kidnapped Scientist while Steve and Natasha traveled to Seoul on a recon mission in an effort to observe a possible weapon's deal and gather intel by tailing a couple of suspects.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that there was a possibility that they would end up having to travel together one-on-one, but she had no idea that fate had such a twisted sense of humor.

The next day, they were boarding a plane under the guise of a civilian couple on vacation.

As they sat at the gate, waiting for their flight to board, Natasha leaned in a little, "This should be a pretty straight-forward mission, but I know you've never gone undercover, so, as a veteran spy, I need to let you know a few things."

He nodded, "Alright."

"First, never break character. Second, if you see something go down, you keep calm and let it play out. I know you might see some crazy things happen and want to intervene, but remember, the lives of millions could depend on what intel we're able to gather during this mission, so we stay calm and stay invisible. Got it?"

Steve nods his head and sits back to digest the information she'd just given him.

He may harbor an intense attract for her, but he's still going to pay close attention to her cues and defer to her expertise when it comes to this mission. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and he's not going to risk screwing that up because he can't control his personal feelings.

Hours later, they were barely halfway through their flight when Natasha fell asleep. Steve was busy reading a magazine, so he didn't notice her start to doze.

When her head lightly drooped against his shoulder, he glanced at her and smiled, unable to resist brushing a rogue red curl out of her face.

She shifted slightly and opened her eyes before slowly sitting up, "Sorry."

"It's alright. You can rest your head there if you like."

Natasha smiled and stared into his blue eyes, "When you were talking about our…agreement before the meeting…were you simply acknowledging a clerical fact…or were you hinting at something more?"

He laughed a little and fought hard not to blush, "Uh. Well, I guess I can admit that I was hinting…"

She arched an eyebrow, "You know, underneath those stars and stripes lies a really sexy freak."

Steve laughed a little, "Well…I dunno about that."

Natasha nudged him a little, "Come on, Steve. I saw the look in your eyes that night. There's a beast in there…waiting to get cut loose. I bet you didn't do half of the stuff to me that you really wanted to do."

When he wordlessly shook his head and smiled, Natasha grabbed one of the airplane blankets front the front pocket of her seat and draped it over his lap. After one quick glance around the cabin, she stuck her hand beneath the blanket and popped the button on his pants.

Steve's eyes widened as he whispered and looked around, hoping no one was watching them, "What are you doing?"

She bit her bottom lip as she slowly slid his zipper down beneath the blanket, "Teasing the beast…"

"This isn't right…Wait…Nata-unnn…god." His voice trailed off and his brain skidded to a halt as her slender hand slid into his underwear and sought out his rapidly hardening member before wrapping her fingers around him. When he felt her start to slowly move her hand up and down his shaft, he grabbed onto the arm rests of his seat and clenched his jaw in an effort to keep from moaning.

Natasha watched his face intently as she continued gently squeezing and pumping his engorged cock, biting her lip as she felt it pulse in her hand. When she brushed a soft finger of the sensitive tip, he bit back a deep groan and closed his eyes.

Steve had to fight the urge to buck his hips upwards against her moving hand…this felt too good.

She could feel that he was close, so she leaned over and laid a sensual kiss against his neck. Natasha soon felt his member expand slightly before he started cumming.

Steve gripped onto the arm rest so tight, he succeeded in leaving noticeable dents in the metal.

When his orgasm subsided, he let his head droop back against the seat as he panted softly. Natasha cleaned off her hand with a couple of napkins and smirked, "Pretty decent in-flight service…"

He was too lost in a euphoric haze to form a coherent sentence, so he just nodded in agreement.

When they reached their hotel, they contacted Fury, who gave them the names of the key players. Apparently, one of the weapons dealers owned a restaurant and frequently conducted business there after hours.

A few hours later, they were dressed up and getting out of a taxi in front of a fancy restaurant. Steve straightened out his jacket and struggled with his tie. She took notice of his demeanor and turned around to help straighten out his tie, "As long as we go in here and act like a normal couple, we'll be fine. Ok? Just keep your eyes and ears open."

He nodded and followed her into the restaurant.

The maître d' led them to their table and started to pull out Natasha's chair, but Steve stopped him and moved to her seat to pull it out. She smiled and sat down. Steve leaned down and gently tilted her chin up so that he could lay a gentle, loving kiss against her plump lips.

She smiled up at him dreamily as he straightened and looked at the maître d', "It's hard not to kiss her when she looks this beautiful…"

When they were alone at their table, Natasha smiled over her menu, "Nice touch."

"Well, you do look beautiful tonight."

She started to thank him for his compliment, but something behind him caught her gaze. He could only assume that she'd spotted one of the dealers, so he avoided turning around to see what caught her eye.

He looked down at his menu, "Spot something interesting?"

Natasha's eyes briefly met his, "Prime rib."

That was the code they'd agreed to use when they spotted one of their suspects.

A waiter came by and took their drink orders before rambling on about their fresh fish specials and accompanying wines. Steve was amazed that she was able to appear so engaged while obviously spying on a man who was clean across the room.

When the waiter was gone, Natasha watched their suspect begin to move closer and closer to the back of the restaurant.

She leaned over, "Going to the ladies room."

When Steve stood to help her pull out her chair, he was able to steal a glance at the man who'd caught her eye. He immediately recognized him from the file Fury had given them. This was Miko, the owner of the restaurant and one of the dealers who was supplying weapons to the Bioterrorists SHIELD was trying to stop.

Natasha slipped into a hallway in the back of the restaurant that led to the restrooms and back offices. When she got to the bathroom, she checked the other stalls for other women, then promptly entered one located directly beneath an air vent.

After locking the stall door, she slid out of her dress, hung it on the hook in the door and hopped up to remove the cover off the vent.

She climbed into the duct and followed it until she heard voices. She found a vent that looked into the employee locker room…then found one that overlooked the owner's office.

Natasha pulled the tiny recorder from her bra and hit record button as she heard the owner, who was speaking Korean on the phone.

She could only understand bits and pieces, so she knew she would have to get it back to the laptop so that she could translate it.

Just as she was about to pack it in and make her way back to the bathroom to return to the table, she heard Miko's door open.

The man stood up abruptly, "I didn't expect to see you in Seoul until next week."

The person who entered the office was able to stay out of Natasha's limited field of vision from the air duct, but she could hear his voice as he spoke English, "There's been a change of plans. We've had too many leaks, so I'm going to take personal charge of this deal."

"I can guarantee you that my people handle their business with the utmost discretion."

"Oh, is that so? Well, perhaps you can explain why I have SHIELD breathing down my neck at every possible turn."

Natasha's eyes widened at Miko stuttered, "SHIELD?"

"I'm approving all personnel. From transport to cash runs…it goes through me. I better not even hear of one of your people wiping their asses without my permission, you got me?"

Miko nodded eagerly, "Yes sir. Understood, sir."

The man who she couldn't see was gone in an instant.

Natasha returned to the table and sat down, "They've added some new, unexpected items to their menu."

They hadn't even gone over that specific code, but Steve knew that meant she'd stumbled upon some unexpected information, so they faked their way through a "lovely" dinner, then promptly returned to their hotel room, where Natasha plugged the recorder into her computer and began translating and dictating the conversation Miko had on the phone.

After she did that, she looked at Steve, "There's an American involved."

"What? I thought Fury said that this was a North Korean operation."

She shrugged, "He must have been wrong. I couldn't see him, but I heard it all. He was talking to Miko like he owned him…and his men. There's no doubt in my mind that this guy is the head honcho. There's been a major failure in our intelligence here…worst part is…they know we're after them. We're lucky we didn't get found out tonight."

"Should we back off for the time being? If they're aware we're onto them, they'll be suspicious of anyone within two feet of them."

"I'm pretty good at staying unseen, Cap."

He sighed, "We should contact Fury before we do anything else."

Natasha favored him with an exasperated groan before she pulled her phone out and called Fury to tell him all about the information she'd gathered from her air duct adventure.

Steve listened intently, and by the time she got off the phone, they had new instructions to "stay put until further notice", which likely meant that Fury wanted the team to change their entire approach. They could only assume that his next call was going to be to Tony and Clint in Laos.

Natasha tossed the phone onto the desk, "Happy now?"

"I want this mission to succeed as much as you do, Natasha…but more importantly, I want my team to be safe. If you hadn't been lucky enough to overhear that conversation, we could have been walking into a trap."

She bit her bottom lip, "It's been a long night…and I'm covered in air duct dust…I'm gonna shower."

Steve watched as she stepped out of her shoes and turned around to walk to the bathroom. When she entered, she failed to completely close the door.

He stood there, desperately trying to ignore the sound of the shower as he imagined the water dripping down her voluptuous curves.

Before he could convince himself to stop, he undressed and walked into the bathroom. Steam had already begun to obscure his view into the glass door of the shower, but he could still make out her delectable silhouette in the foggy glass cube.

Natasha must have sensed his presence because she looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a sexy little half smile.

He couldn't stop moving toward her even if he wanted to. He felt as though he was drawn to her by some sort of invisible force…

When he opened the door of the shower, he felt as though it was a miracle that he was able to remain on his feet.

"Can I help you, Captain?"

Steve looked her up and down with a slightly darker expression than she was used to as he stepped into the shower and looked down at her, "You tell me."

She almost yelped as he grabbed the back of her head and forced her lips to his for a bruising kiss. She was out of breath and lightheaded by the time he released her from the passionate embrace.

Natasha had no time to recover when he spun her around and pressed her against the cool tile of the shower. Steve leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I want you to scream my name, Natasha…"

All she could do was moan in response as he kissed his way down her back, then straightened and turned her back around.

Steve picked her up, which caused her to wrap her legs around his waist. She immediately felt the head of his hardened cock press against her core, which made her breath in sharply and close her eyes.

After some maneuvering, Steve pressed the tip of his dick into her body and began to press forward, "Look at me, Natasha."

Her eyes fluttered open slowly to meet his intense blue gaze as he drove himself home in one deliciously brutal thrust.

She almost whimpered at the pleasure of it all.

Thrust after thrust, he pumped into her quivering body, alternating his pace so that her body was always kept on edge, craving more.

Soon, Steve grew impatient with that position and pulled out of her before setting her down on her shaking legs. He started to wash her body, but she began to grab at him, "Don't stop."

"Oh, we're far from done", he said with a reassuring smile.

Natasha watched him as he carefully washed her body…reverently touching every curve…practically worshipping her.

He disengaged the showerhead and rinsed her off before placing it between her legs. He watched her face intently as her expression contorted to convey the sheer ecstasy she was experiencing.

After a few moments of water-induced pleasure, Steven lifted her soaking wet body into his arms and walked her to the bed, where he put her down and gently coaxed her onto her hands and knees, facing away from him.

Natasha bit her bottom lip, "Steve…"

Steve stared at her ass in awe before gently running a hand down her slit, causing her to gasp, "Tell me what you want from me, Natasha. I need to hear you say it…"

She could barely speak as he stuck a finger inside of her velvety folds. "I…I….I…want you…inside of me…"

He smirked as he positioned himself behind her before slowly pushing his member inside of her, inch by deliciously torturous inch. She almost bucked back against him, but his strong hands on her waist prevented her from moving.

Natasha lowered her head, but was surprised when he fisted his hand in her hair and snatched her head back as he began pumping into her with deep, powerful strokes.

"Oh….God…." she whimpered as the pleasure proved to be too much for her body.

"Natasha…you're so beautiful…so…so…beautiful", he groaned through gritted teeth.

Soon, she felt a warmth pool in her belly as her impending climax made itself known. She gripped onto the sheets and cried out as Steve practically roared with her, emptying himself inside of her trembling body.

Several minutes later, they lay in bed together, naked as he stared at her.

If she was any more of a "girl" she would have blushed, but instead, she laughed a little and covered her eyes with her forearm, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Steve moved her forearm away from her eyes before taking her hand and gently kissing her palm, then her wrist, then the crook of her arm, "Because…you're beautiful."

She stared at him for a while and cocked her head to the side, "You really mean that…"

He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, "I care about you, Natasha…I want you to be with me…and no one else. I want you to be mine."

Natasha's heart suddenly felt like it was beating a mile a minute. She wasn't good at this. She'd never done this. In fact, admitting one's feelings was altogether shunned and avoided if you were a spy.

She didn't know if she was ready to let her guard down, so when his lips descended upon hers for a loving kiss, she was relieved that she didn't have to speak.

The light chirp of her phone ended their kiss and forced her out of the warm confines of the bed they now shared.

Steve watched her naked ass as she walked across the room to answer her phone, "Hello?...Yeah….What?...Oh god...yes. We'll be right there…."

Natasha hung up the call, but continued to stare at the phone. Steve quickly stood and pulled on his underwear, "Something wrong?"

She glanced up at him, then looked back down at the phone, "That was Agent Hill…Tony and the rest of the team have lost all contact with Clint….he's gone missing…."

* * *

**Thank you all so much for your support of this story! Please continue to review and provide feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please be sure to review!**

* * *

They didn't speak during the flight back to New York.

In fact, they sat as far away from each other on the flight as possible.

When they walked into SHIELD headquarters, they got down to business. Natasha listened intently as Tony described their mission and the last time they'd spoken and who they'd been tracking down and when his last communication was with him. Apparently, Clint and Tony were taking turns monitoring a building for the movement of one of the perps suspected in the kidnapping of the scientist they were hoping to track down.

When he spotted them smuggling the bound and gagged scientist from his perch on the building beside it, he sprang into action and gave chase. That was the last message he got to Tony or Fury.

By the time Tony made it to Clint's estimated location, the archer was nowhere to be found. His comm piece was down, and not one shred of evidence was left behind.

When the briefing was over, Fury had barely a handful of leads to give the team in an effort to find their lost team member.

Natasha left the room so quickly, Steve didn't even see her go. He stood there for a few seconds, lost in his own thoughts until he noticed Tony sitting quietly and alone.

Steve slowly walked over to him, "Are you OK?"

Tony didn't look up as he spoke, "I never wanted to be a spy…or a crime fighter. I never…wanted to be solely responsible for the life of another…but I was…and I failed."

"Clint made a call, Tony. He did what he was trained to do."

The billionaire got up from his seat and turned away, "I should have been there. I should have gotten there sooner."

"This isn't your fault, Tony. We're gonna get Clint back. I promise. I'll never leave a man behind…" His voice trailed off as he watched Natasha walk to the doorway, "…no matter what."

She stared back into his eyes for a brief moment before she cleared her throat, "Looks like our hottest lead is in LA. Let's go."

The next day, they were setting up a base of operations in Tony's Los Angeles home. Agent Hill and Fury were working on separate computers while Tony was in his basement with Bruce, doing their own research.

The entire team figured that they should stick with the main objective: find the scientist. If they found the scientist, they would likely…hopefully find Clint.

Hours had passed and night began to fall as the team worked well past dusk. Steve stared at Natasha, who was sitting in front of a computer monitor, doing her own bit of research, hoping that any piece of information she found could help in the search for Clint.

She glanced up at him and met his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to smile, so he favored her with a polite nod before standing to walk over to her.

Before he made it across the room, Bruce and Tony emerged from the basement, holding up a handful of papers, "We have a lead!"

Natasha practically shot out of her chair as Fury straightened, "Let's hear it."

Tony laid the papers out on a nearby table, "This Dr. Somerholder…he would need extremely specialized equipment if he was being forced to duplicate his research at another location. We're not just talking test tubes, hot plates and beakers here, people."

Bruce cut in as he nodded, "Hazmat suits, miniature isolation chambers made of adamantium…"

"Adamantium?" asked Steve with a confused look.

Tony nodded, "An indestructible metal. It conducts heat and electricity the same way a normal metal does, but it's unbreakable and has the highest melting point of any other metal. Ridiculously expensive and extremely rare."

"So, you've found someone who has been buying up all the equipment Dr. Somerholder would need?" asked Fury with just a hint of impatience to his voice.

Tony tossed a paper onto the desk, "Anyone recognize this name?"

"Crane Industries? Why does that sound familiar?" asked Natasha as she reached to take the paper.

Agent Hill's eyes widened, "The Vice President founded that company. He was the CEO until he stepped down to campaign with President Ramsey…but he's still the majority stakeholder."

Fury looked at Natasha, "You said you didn't get a look at the American Miko was talking to?"

She shook her head, "No…why?"

Fury turned to Maria, "I want the location of the president right now. Alert the council. Tell them that we have a Level 8 emergency. Get the POTUS isolated and underground with SHIELD agents only."

Agent Hill looked confused, "But sir…if this is just a coincidence—"

"If there were such a thing as coincidences, Agent Hill, I'd still have two good eyes, now get it done, YESTERDAY!" he barked, forcing her into action.

Natasha followed behind Fury as he began to walk away, "About Clint-"

"Agent Romanoff, we're dealing with a direct threat to the president of the United States and the innocent people of this country. That is our priority right now. Barton, of all people, would understand that."

Fury walked away from her, leaving her to look deflated and defeated.

Steve had watched the whole exchange and contemplated going after her when she stormed out of the room.

Moments later, he found her in Tony's basement, sitting on the steps that led to his little mechanical wonderland. She glanced up at him when he approached, then immediately turned her eyes back to the ground, remaining silent.

Steve sat next to her and allowed the silence to envelope them for several minutes before he slowly slid an arm around her shoulders. At first, she remained stiff, but slowly and gingerly, she melted into his embrace and allowed him to pull her body against his.

She fit perfectly there…molded against his strong chest as her head lazily drooped against his shoulder. Natasha let out a long breath and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to close her eyes and relax for just a few precious moments.

Tony had watched them from the top of the stairs for a few seconds before silently slipping away, not wanting to disturb the intimate moment.

When Steve spoke, his voice rumbled deep within his chest and sent a warm vibration through Natasha's body, "I'll help you find Clint."

She lifted her head from his chest and looked up into his eyes, "What?"

"He's my team member…." He brushed a red curl out of her eyes, "…and he's important to you. We're gonna find him. I promise."

When Natasha and Steve approached Tony and Bruce with their plan, they found a list of warehouses owned by Crane Industries. Tony agreed to go with them, but Bruce decided to hang back, thinking that the situation didn't call for a Hulk.

The three of them left in one of Tony's many cars, heading to a Crane Industries warehouse just outside of LA. They'd picked it because Bruce had found recent satellite pictures of the warehouse that showed an abnormal amount of activity and people coming and going from the typically isolated area.

They parked about a mile away from the warehouse, then found a vantage point nearby that allowed them to get a look at the security surrounding the place.

As soon as Natasha spotted an armed guard, she knew they were in the right place. Tony, who was in his Iron Man suit, turned to Natasha, "There's 8 guarding the warehouse perimeter. What's the plan, cap?"

"We have a better chance of penetrating the warehouse if we move in quietly. There's no telling how many men are inside of that building."

Natasha pulled a knife out of her boot, "Hang back until I give the signal."

She was gone before either man could properly protest. Tony flipped open his mask and looked at Steve, "Is she gonna—"

"Yep."

"All 8 of them-"

"Yep."

"With just the—"

"Yep."

Steve looked through the binoculars to watch as Natasha silently and quickly picked off the guards, one by one. When she had snapped the neck of the last guard, she looked in their direction and gave a nod.

The trio moved in closer, knowing that they needed to move in quick before anyone inside realized that the guards Natasha had disposed of weren't answering walkie-talkie calls.

They looked through a window and saw a makeshift lab where a haggard looking man, who they all recognized as Dr. Somerholder, in a white coat carefully pouring a liquid into a tiny metal container. There were a couple of other "assistants" in the room along with several armed guards.

Natasha signaled for them to move further down the building. When they came across another window, they saw Clint chained to a chair. He appeared to be unconscious and alone.

The Black Widow let out an indiscernible sound when she saw Clint, helplessly slouched in the chair with his hands firmly chained. She whispered, "Come on, Hawkeye…open your eyes…"

Steve looked at Tony, "Circle around the other side of the building, penetrate the lab and get Dr. Somerholder out. You'll be able to create enough of a diversion to let us get Clint out."

Tony took off and flew to the other side of the building. As soon as Steve and Natasha heard the first explosions they broke into the window. Steve quickly disposed of a few armed guards while Natasha went straight to Clint's side, removing his binds and taking his face in her hands. She gave him a gentle shake, "Clint! Open your eyes..."

Clint slowly blinked his eyes open and whispered, "Nat" before his eyes closed again.

A few hours later, Steve was standing in the doorway of Clint's hospital room, watching Natasha as she sat on the edge of his bed, holding his hand.

"They look rather cozy."

Steve cleared his throat, "I don't know what you mean."

Tony smirked and followed Steve as he walked to the waiting room, "They look almost as cozy as you two did last night."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me", he said as he patted Steve's arm.

"There's no secret to keep, Tony. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill here."

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets and gave him an amused look, "So, you mean to tell me that you believe the Black Widow, of all people, cuddles up to her teammates because she just wants a hug? Maybe we should go ask her if she wants a group hug. Who knows? She might be into that kinda thing."

Steve stepped forward and held up a hand, silently pleading for Tony to shut the hell up…or at least lower his voice, "Alright. Alright."

"How long has this been going on?"

"It's…it's just…it's not what you think."

Tony smirked, "By the way you look at her, I'm pretty sure that it's_ exactly_ what I think."

When Fury had found out where the team went, he sent a clean-up crew in to gather evidence. Dr. Somerholder was being questioned and the Vice President of the United States was being dealt with by the counsel.

When Clint was released from the hospital, Tony invited them to stay at his house until they returned to New York.

This made Natasha feel extremely confused and conflicted. On one hand, she did want him close by…but on the other hand, she'd nearly lost Clint…and that fact had reawakened a lot of unresolved feelings.

She was more conflicted than ever. She decided that she needed to utilize Tony's gym and work out some of her tension, so she suited up and sat down on her bed to put on her boots. As she did, she began staring out over the ocean. The shimmering aqua color reminded her of Steve's eyes. His gorgeous, deep blue eyes…

Clint's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

He stood in the doorway of her bedroom, "You look like you're in deep thought."

She smiled uneasily and stood, "Not really thinking…just kind of lost in my sleep deprived haze."

Clint stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, making her stomach leap into her throat. This would be the first time they were completely alone in several weeks…and the way he was looking at her was all too recognizable. He walked over to her, "I've missed you. It's been a while…"

Natasha turned away from him and desperately tried to get her breathing under control, "You should be resting. You've had two concussions in less than two months."

His hands reached around her and took a hold of the zipper of her uniform as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I have a feeling that you can make me feel better."

Her eyes rolled closed on their own accord as he gently kissed the side of her neck and slid the zipper of her uniform down. He reached inside of it and cupped her breast as she let out a low moan and allowed her head to drop back against him.

As he worked her out of her uniform, he gently kissed her lips, neck and shoulder. She protested weakly as he turned her around and gently pushed her onto the bed.

By now, she was in her underwear and he was shirtless. When he climbed up her body, she placed her hands on his chest, "Wait. Clint…we can't do this. We can't keep doing this."

He looked down at her with an expression of confusion and…(dare she say it)…hurt, "What do you mean?"

"I can't do this. It's not going to change anything between us." She pushed him off of her and sat up, snatching a blanket over her, "I'm just an outlet for you. You need to relieve tension after a near death experience-go for a run. Don't fuck me just to prove to yourself that you're still alive."

Clint had no idea where all of this was coming from. He felt more than a little blindsided.

"Nat…you know what you mean to me."

"Actually, I don't. I have no idea. You've never said a damn thing."

Clint pushed her back down and snatched the blanket away before roughly maneuvering himself between her legs. He ground against her firmly, "Then let me _show_ you."

Natasha felt weak against him as he began hungrily kissing her and quickly ridding her body of the scant covering she had left.

When he thrust himself inside of her, she was lost within a haze of pleasure…but guilt arose from an unknown place within her mind and began eating away at her as Clint peppered her body with kisses and moved in and out of her.

_An hour later..._

Natasha stood under the shower head, letting the water run over her until it turned cold. Her teeth were practically chattering by the time she turned off the nozzle and exited to dry her body.

She wrapped the towel around herself and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Well…you've really fucked up this time, Nat."

As a spy, she'd found herself in a lot of uncomfortable, extremely compromising positions…but being the object of affection for two men she was incredibly attracted to paled in comparison to any position her job ever put her in.

As she got dressed, she realized how shaky and jittery she was. She dropped her brush, accidentally squirted lotion on the window and poked herself in the eye with her eyeliner pencil.

After the eyeliner incident, she tossed the pencil down and gripped the edges of the sink as she leaned forward and glared at herself in the mirror, "Get it together, Nat!"

Why was she so jittery?

She didn't owe either man exclusivity. Clint could never verbalize how he felt about her and he damn sure wasn't about to imply that they were "together".

Steve…Steve on the other hand had placed his heart on the table for her to take.

_"I care about you, Natasha…I want you to be with me…and no one else. I want you to be mine."_

A smile crept to her face when she remembered that night. Steve had been so genuine…so sweet…

No. The words "commitment" and "relationship" didn't belong in her vocabulary. She belonged to SHIELD. Her work owned her.

No sweet, all-American boy could change that.

What Natasha didn't know yet was that he could.

* * *

Steve knocked on Natasha's door and let out a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves.

He wanted to talk to her about where they stood, and he needed to prepare himself for the possibility of heartbreak. He wasn't naïve or stupid. He knew that Natasha was no one's "girl".

She was a spy. A woman with a dark past and guarded heart…but somehow, she managed to possess a warmth that drew him in.

He needed to take this chance so that he didn't live every day thinking about the "what if"…especially now that he realized that Clint was in the picture and that she still had feelings for him.

Even if Natasha never admitted it, Steve knew that she cared about Clint.

Steve realized he'd been standing at her door for several moments, waiting for her to answer, so he knocked again. When he didn't receive an answer, he opened the door and poked his head in.

He was startled by Tony's voice, "She's gone. Left an hour ago."

Steve tried to keep his voice even, "Oh? Where'd she go?"

"She took her bags, so I'm guessing, the airport." Steve stayed quiet as Tony looked him up and down, "Jarvis heard her telling Fury she needed some time off."

"Do you listen to all of our conversations?"

"No. Only Nick's. He's kind of on the top of my 'People I Trust the Least' list so I have Jarvis keep a closer eye on his communications."

Steve cleared his throat and rocked on his heels a bit, "Do you know if she told him where she was going?"

"Sorry, cap. She never mentioned it. You're gonna have to find that out yourself…but can I suggest one thing?"

"If I said no, would you actually shut up?"

Tony shook her head nonchalantly, "Nope." He ignored Steve's exasperated groan, "Give her some time to be alone. She hasn't been acting like herself and there's a chance she just needs time to hit the reset button."

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**Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woohoo! I'm trying to pay you back for my lack of update last week. **

**Be warned: Fluffy Steve/Natasha and then DRAMA ahead!**

* * *

Natasha walked into her New York apartment after being gone for three weeks. She'd been traveling and attempting to clear her head during her leave from SHIELD, and now, she was due back at headquarters in less than three hours.

All she wanted to do was sleep.

This was odd because she never slept. She hated sleeping…but during her last week of leave, she'd been unable to make it through a full day without an afternoon nap.

Natasha dropped onto her couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard a knock on her door.

With a groan, she stood up and drug herself to her front door. When she glanced out of the peep hole and saw Steve standing there, her heart beat quickened and her palms were immediately sweaty.

She slowly opened the door, "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Fury said you'd be back for a meeting today…and I wanted to get the chance to talk to you outside of SHIELD."

Natasha nodded and opened the door wider, inviting him in. After closing the door behind him, she led him into her living room.

Steve eyed her suitcases, "You just got back, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm dealing with a little bit of jag right now."

He smiled a little, "Well, you look great."

Natasha sighed, "Steve…"

"Before you say anything, I need you to know how I feel about you."

"…but Steve—"

"I don't care if you don't feel the same. I don't care if you don't want to feel the same. I just think that's important that you know exactly how much I care about you…because life's too short…especially in our line of work."

There it was. All of the words that she'd hoped Clint would have one day had the balls to say...laid out for her by a man who had been nothing short of amazing to her since Day 1.

She practically threw herself into his arms for a passionate, hungry kiss.

Steve was taken aback at first, but soon, he scooped her up in his arms and easily carried her back to her bedroom. He gently laid down with her on the bed and began stripping her out of her clothes. As he lay beside her, he kissed her lips, then looked into her eyes, "You're so beautiful…"

"Shut up and kiss me, cap…"

He smirked and began kissing her as he reached down to expertly pop open the button of her jeans and open the zipper with one hand. He moved his lips from her mouth to her neck as he slipped his hand inside of her panties and began gently caressing her velvety folds.

"Oh…Steve…" she whispered as she gripped his bicep.

He stopped kissing her neck so that he could watch her reaction as he stuck his finger inside of her. She didn't disappoint, because soon, her eyes were rolling backwards and her mouth dropped open.

Steve began slowly moving his finger in and out of her as he intently watched her face. In response, Natasha began involuntarily rolling her hips upwards.

He briefly halted his actions to push her shirt up and yank down her bra cup so that he could attach his lips to one of her perfect, hardened nipples.

By the time his hand found its way back to her crevice, she was practically shivering. She knew she wouldn't be able to take much more…

"Oh god…oh god…oh...yes!" she cried out as she came.

When she caught her breath, Steve laid a tender, yet passionate kiss on her lips, then sat up to undress himself. She slowly peeled herself out of her clothes, then leaned forward to lick a path down his delicious abs.

Natasha wrapped her hand around his shaft and gave it a slow pump before leaning down to flick her tongue over the tip.

Steve had to fight to remain still as he let out a low groan. Softly and gently, he allowed his fingers to lace through her soft red curls as she sucked him into her mouth, inch by inch.

He leaned back on his elbow and moaned as his head dropped backwards.

After just a few moments, Steve felt as though he would lose control at any second, so he stopped her by gently coaxing her head upwards.

"I wanna make love to you, Nat."

She smiled sexily and laid back against the mattress, "I'm yours for the taking, captain."

Steve slowly crawled up her body and settled between her inviting, open legs. He kissed her chin as he reached down and guided his shaft inside of her, making her moan in pure ecstasy.

He kissed her neck as he began pumping into her and caressing her body.

Natasha ran her nails down his back, then grabbed his ass and began forcing him deeper as she arched into him, causing her erect nipples to press against his chest.

Steve groaned and shut his eyes tight in an attempt to keep his body under control. He could feel the climax building, but he knew he had to last until she came…just a little longer…

As soon as she gripped onto his body and screamed his name, he barely waited until his full name left her lips before he threw his head back and cried out, coming hard.

Steve rested his forehead against hers as they both floated down from their respective highs.

For several moments, the only sound that emanated from her bedroom were the sounds of their soft pants.

Ten minutes later, they lay beside each other in comfortable silence. Steve gently caressed her hip as he stared at her face.

Natasha smiled lazily, "How can you look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like I'm not this cold-blooded killer with a checkered past and questionable morals. You look at me like I'm…like you see something else."

He gently took her hand and kissed it as he looked into her eyes, "When I look at you, I see every wild dream I've ever had come true…and when you're talkin' to a guy who was asleep for almost 60 years, so we're talkin' about a lot of dreams."

Natasha raised a brow, "What kind of wild dreams?"

Steve leaned over and kissed her neck, "You'll find out soon enough."

She moaned softly, then glanced at the clock over his shoulder, "Oh shit…we have to go."

He murmured against her neck, "I'd rather stay here."

Natasha's eyes rolled closed for a brief second before she shook her head and gave his chest a gentle shove so that she could kiss his lips, "You mean to tell me that sex is enough to get you to disobey a direct order?"

"Not just sex…sex with _you_", he said as he went back to kissing her neck.

She laughed and shoved him away as she hopped out of bed. Steve sat up and stared at her naked body as she stood before him, "Oh…god, Natasha. You can't honestly stand there like that and expect me not to…"

Steve didn't bother to finish his sentence. He simply jumped out of bed and grabbed her by the waist as he pressed his body against hers for a passionate kiss. She moaned against his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her against the wall.

They made love once more before they left in separate cabs and walked into headquarters one after the other.

When Clint walked in, Natasha's post-coital bliss almost immediately faded.

Steve's jaw tensed visibly as he watched Clint sit next to her.

When Tony walked in, he immediately noticed the uncomfortable situation and looked around, "Hello all."

Throughout the meeting, Steve couldn't help but continue to glance across the table at Natasha. On more than one occasion, he spotted Clint staring at her.

Afterwards, as the team filed out of the room, Clint took Natasha's arm and leaned over to whisper, "I need to talk to you."

Steve watched them go back into the conference room and close the door. Thanks to the glass wall, he was able to watch them.

He was relieved to see that they stayed a respectable distance from each other, but he noticed that things seemed to get a little tense toward the end of their conversation.

Despite his intense curiosity about their discussion, he promised himself that he would not ask her about Clint Barton outside of the professional arena.

* * *

When they left SHIELD, Natasha went back to her apartment alone, but she couldn't help but wish Steve had come with her. She genuinely enjoyed his company.

She took a hot bath, then put on a robe and popped a frozen dinner in the microwave.

Just as she was about to take her partially frozen dinner out, she heard a knock at her door.

When she opened it, she found Steve wearing a button down shirt, slacks and holding flowers.

She laughed and raised a brow, "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to take you out…on a proper date."

Natasha put a hand on her hip, "How did you know I didn't have plans for dinner?"

Just then, her microwave dinged. Steve looked at her expectantly, "I'm pretty sure that my plans are better than yours. Come on…get dressed. I'll make it worth your while."

"If you wanted to do that, you'd tell me to get undressed."

Steve blushed slightly as he stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind him, "Hurry up, we're gonna be late."

An hour later, he and Natasha were sitting on a blanket in Central Park amongst several other park goers, eating hot dogs, drinking beer and watching The Philadelphia Story on a giant, inflatable movie screen.

"Having a good time?"

She smiled, "I've lived in this city for a while…and I've never ever seen this side of it."

Steve nodded as he looked up at the larger-than-life image of Katherine Hepburn as she argued with Cary Grant, "Yeah. This is just a little bit of my old days come to life in a modern day New York."

"It's really nice. I honestly never thought I'd enjoy something like this...but I am. Go figure."

Afterwards, they walked back to her apartment, where they wasted no time in stripping naked and making love in virtually every room of her apartment.

When Natasha finally got out of bed, she slipped on his shirt. Steve smiled, "You look gorgeous in that."

"In your shirt?"

"Yeah. Knowing you're all wrapped up in something that belongs to me…"

She raised a brow, "Fills your heart with male pride, huh?"

Steve pulled on his underwear, "I guess so."

* * *

They continued seeing each other in secret for nearly two months. Luckily, the entire team was in and out of the country on missions during that time, so no one was able to notice all of the time they spent together.

Natasha was surprised to realize how much she missed Steve when they were away from each other during their respective missions.

The time they spent together was always relaxing and rejuvenating. It always felt like they were in another world when they were together.

One evening, after a particularly tender lovemaking session, Steve lay with his head on her lap as she sat on the couch.

She gently ran her fingers through his golden locks, "Tell me about her…"

"Her-who?"

Natasha raised a brow and pulled at his hair, "You know who…"

Steve sighed. He knew exactly who she was talking about. She'd known about Peggy since before he'd been found frozen under the ice.

He looked up at her and shrugged, "She was beautiful…strong, smart, funny, tough…she kinda reminded me of you, to be honest."

"Really?"

Steve sat up and kissed the tip of her nose, "Maybe it's the red hair and voluptuous figure."

She laughed a little and shook her head, "Maybe."

He got a faraway look in his eyes as he sat back, "She was supposed to teach me how to dance."

"You don't know how to dance?"

He suppressed a blush, "No. I'm too busy saving the world."

Natasha stood and held her hand out, "Get up."

Steve slowly took her hand as she pulled him up, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to teach you to dance, cap."

"You…know how to dance?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes, "Yes, and if you tell anyone, I'll snap your neck."

He laughed a little, "When did you learn to dance?"

"I have to get close to some of the most powerful men in the world. Sometimes that requires wining, dining and dancing."

Steve's face screwed up a little, "Hmph."

"Are you jealous?" she asked as she playfully shoved his shoulder. When he avoided eye contact, she laughed, "You are jealous!"

"Alright, alright. Just teach me."

She placed his hand on her hip, then took his other hand in hers as she looked up into his eyes, "It's all about the numbers. If you can count, you can dance. We're going to start with you stepped toward me, so I'm going to step back, you step forward, then to your left, then back again."

He nodded as they slowly began practicing as she counted softly, "One, two, three…one, two, three…one, two, three…good. You're not so bad."

Steve smiled, "I guess I have a good teacher."

Natasha continued concentrating on their counting as Steve let out a breath and watched her, "Natasha…there's something I want to tell you."

She stopped and looked up at him, "What is it?"

Just as he was about to open his mouth, there was a knock on her door. He let out an exasperated breath as she called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Tony."

Steve and Natasha leapt into action, gathering up strewn clothes as they rushed to the bedroom. He hid in the closet as she pulled on her robe, then rushed over to the door and opened it, "Tony. Hi. What are you doing here?"

He held up a tablet and strolled in past her as she took it from his hand, "Fury wanted me to deliver these notes about a terror cell SHIELD is monitoring. Am I interrupting something?"

Natasha looked at him confusedly as she closed the door behind him. Tony walked into her apartment and nosily looked around, poking his head in every door he came across, "This isn't information you could provide via email?"

"I thought it would be nice to pay you a visit and share some good news with you in person."

"What good news?"

Tony clasped his hands together, "After repairs and remodels are made, I've decided to turn the top six floors of Stark Tower into luxury apartments for the team."

"You want the team to move into your building?"

Tony shrugged a little, "We're gonna have to keep saving the world together. It might help build camaraderie."

"…and it might help you stick your nose in everyone's business."

"Since when have I ever stuck my nose into team business?"

She put the tablet down and crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you really doing here, Tony? You could have sent this via messenger...or email."

"Alright. You got me. I was actually supposed to give that information to Steve and show him how to use it since...well, he's a senior citizen who's likely technologically impaired...but he was conspicuously absent from his apartment…as he has been almost every night for the past couple of weeks. Do you know where the good captain is, Miss Romanoff?"

"Why do you think I'd know?"

Tony stared directly at her, "Because the sleeve of his brown leather bomber jacket is peeking out of the door of your front hall closet." Natasha's eyes widened as Tony smirked, "So…is he hiding under the bed?"

Steve emerged from the bedroom, mostly dressed and wearing an expression of annoyance as he regarded the billionaire who smugly stood before him.

Natasha held a finger up to point in his face, "Stark, if you breathe a word of this-"

Tony held up his hands, "Who would I tell?"

"For starters? Pepper, Fury, Hill, the New York Times—"

Tony had the nerve to look hurt as he cut her off, "Are you implying that I can't keep a secret?"

Natasha and Steve just stared at him in silence until he threw his hands up, "Ok! Fine! Your dirty little secret is safe with me."

* * *

For the first time in recent history, Natasha had a life outside of her work. She didn't spend every extra waking moment at SHIELD, studying and training. She spent time at home…with Steve.

It wasn't a surprise that she hadn't made time to go in for her mandatory SHIELD quarterly physical.

Every field agent was required to report for a physical every three months to scan for implanted bugs, test for disease and run a battery of standard health-related tests. Female SHIELD agents also typically received a birth control shot that lasted for three months exactly.

When she finally went to the SHIELD infirmary (after a firm reminder from Fury), she was greeted by a nurse who she'd known since she started working for the agency.

"Hi Alina. How's your day going?"

"Not bad. What are you doing down here?"

Natasha shrugged, "My physical. I'm a little late for it."

Alina turned to her computer and typed in her name before raising her eyebrows, "A little late? You were due for another physical over two months ago! Have you been in the field?"

"A little…here and there. You have an opening now?"

"For you? Sure. Come on back."

Alina led Natasha to a small exam room, then left her to get undressed. When she returned, she led Natasha to what the agents referred to as the "Bug Booth", which scanned their bodies for electronic monitoring devices that might have been implanted.

Of course, Natasha was clean, so they returned to the exam room where Alina drew blood and sat down with her tablet computer so that she could update her records and take notes on her health.

"Alright…I have to ask all of the routine questions…have you been in the field within the last three months?"

"Yes."

"Have you been exposed to anyone with any of the following: measles, chicken pox, small pox, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, whooping cough or influenza?"

"Nope."

"Are you currently sexually active?"

Natasha was surprised when she almost blushed. She cleared her throat, "Yes."

Alina favored her with a cheeky smile before moving onto her next question, "Would you like to have a birth control shot today?"

"Yes."

The kindly nurse handed her the tablet, "Initial here."

Natasha used the stylus to scribble her initials on the tablet before Alina handed her an empty plastic cup, "Fill er up. Gotta make sure you're not bakin' a bun before we give you a shot."

She took the cup and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, where she urinated in the container and handed it to the nurse, who was now wearing rubber gloves. She set the cup on a nearby counter before dipping a pregnancy test in it, then setting it on a sterile paper towel beside it.

"So…you're seeing someone."

Natasha smiled and shook her head, "Alina—"

"I know that you don't discuss your personal life…but you can't deprive me of _all_ the juicy details."

Alina turned back to the counter to gather up the needle for Natasha's shot, "Well, just know that he's nice. He's a good guy…"

"…and apparently, he's gonna be a father...", said Alina as she picked up the pregnancy test.

Natasha flinched as if she'd been shot.

The words didn't sink in. They _couldn't_ sink in.

She stared at Alina, who was, herself, staring at the pregnancy test incredulously. She finally tore her eyes away from the little white stick to look at Natasha.

"Natasha…it's positive."

Natasha stood on shaky legs and shook her head, "No. It can't be. How can this be?"

Alina looked back down at her tablet, "The shot only lasts 3 months and you're ten weeks late for it. If you had sex outside of that three month window…"

Again, Natasha shook her head, "I can't…I can't…"

"Calm down. Take a deep breath."

She did…several times, but the spinning in her head refused to cease.

Alina patted her back, "Do you want me to call-"

Natasha grabbed the hand that was on her back and snatched Alina closer, "Do. Not. Tell. A. Soul."

Alina nodded carefully as Natasha straightened. She could be an emotional wreck later…but now, she needed to go into self-preservation mode.

Natasha quickly got dressed, then disposed of the urine and blood samples before pocketing the pregnancy test.

Before she left, she looked at Alina, "Please…don't say a word to anyone about this."

"But, Director Fury—"

"Just document a clean bill of health. I'm healthy right?" Alina nodded mutely. The poor woman seemed even more shocked than Natasha, "Great. Then you're not lying."

"Natasha…is it Clint?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, "I can't talk about it."

* * *

**I appreciate all of the feedback! Please review! Your reviews motivate me to keep going, so please keep providing feedback!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A reviewer asked me not to keep you guys hanging for long, so I didn't! I hope you enjoy the quick updates!**

**FYI: The thoughts and opinions expressed by the characters are in no way, shape or form indicative of my own beliefs on the sensitive matters that will be discussed in the following chapter. **

**Be warned: a bit of drama/angst ahead.**

* * *

Natasha ran right into Steve on her way out of SHIELD, so he invited her to lunch. She was in such a panic, she couldn't do anything but accept his invitation. She didn't know how to lie in a situation like this. This involved her real life…and his life…and had direct, very personal consequences.

The entire lunch, she was distracted. He commented about how distracted she was, and afterwards, she went home by herself, rather than accept his invitation to go to his apartment.

A couple of days passed, and she avoided Steve as she attempted to put her pregnancy out of her mind, choosing the path of denial rather than face the truth. She also avoided all of Clint's calls.

When Fury told her that she might have to go on a fairly physical, dangerous mission at the end of the month, she decided that she needed to take action where the pregnancy-situation was concerned. She couldn't allow her physical state to endanger the mission or her fellow teammates. She needed to be at her best…not pregnant.

She went to the drug store and bought three different tests.

Later that afternoon, in her empty apartment, she took the tests and laid them all out on her coffee table.

All three said that she was pregnant…too bad they couldn't tell her who the father was. Thanks to her tryst with Clint in California, the 'whodunnit' question was left unanswered.

She stared at the variety of white sticks that lay before her before putting her face in her hands and shaking her head.

How could she have let this happen? How could she be so stupid and forgetful?

Natasha allowed the fear, uncertainty and sheer panic to last for several minutes before she stood and gathered the tests to toss them into the trash.

"It's gonna be OK", she reassured herself as she sat down at her computer and for a Planned Parenthood or abortion clinic.

By the end of next week, things were going to be back to normal.

She read a few things online about her options, and by her calculations, she figured she was about 8 weeks along. She could easily get the abortion pill if they were able to fit her in within the next few days. According to the site she read, it's effective within the first 9 weeks of pregnancy.

"Quick and clean. Like it never happened."

Natasha called and was able to get an appointment by Friday.

Almost as soon as she got off of the phone with Planned Parenthood, the man of the hour called, "Hey beautiful. I wanna see you tonight."

She couldn't help but smile, "Steve...I'm not sure I can tonight. Rain check?"

Steve tried not to sound disappointed, but he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on with her. Typically, they couldn't get enough of each other, but recently, he'd had the distinct feeling that she'd been avoiding him, "You sound…different. Everything ok?"

"Um…I just have a lot on my mind right now."

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, "Nat…if something's wrong, you can tell me. You know I'm here for you."

She smiled into the phone again, "I know…and thank you."

"You sure you don't need any company?"

"Yeah."

Steve sighed in disappointment, "Alright—"

"…but I could use a pint of double fudge chocolate ice cream…and it looks like I'm all out."

She could have sworn she heard him smile into the phone as he spoke, "I'm on my way."

He was at her door with ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup within 45 minutes. Natasha raised her brow at his extra purchases and invited him in, "What are those for?"

"I thought you might want something to go with that ice cream."

She laughed a little and took the bag from him as they walked into the kitchen, where she set the bag on the counter and started removing its contents.

Steve stepped up behind her and kissed the side of her neck as he slowly began pulling up the fabric of her dress while caressing her legs.

Natasha moaned slightly as she lost herself within his touch…until his hands moved up to her waist, then to her stomach.

She jumped slightly and grabbed his hand with her lightning quick reflexes. Steve's movements came to an abrupt halt as she released his hand and moved from between the counter and his body.

"Nat…what's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

He walked over to her and took her hands as he stared down into her eyes, "You may be able to lie like a pro to everyone else in the world…but I can see right past it. Talk to me. Please."

She closed her eyes and let out a breath. The problem would be solved by next week, and for whatever reason, she hated lying to him, so she figured it would be better if she told him the truth. Natasha shrugged her shoulders and spoke quickly, "Fine. The truth is…I'm pregnant."

Steve's eyes widened slightly as he looked her up and down, almost as if he was expecting to see something in her figure that would confirm what she had just told him.

She watched as his expression changed from confusion, to shock and then…to pure joy.

"You're pregnant?! Natasha! This is wonderful…"

Her stomach dropped as she watched him run both hands through his hair, then grab her shoulders and yank her to him for a loving kiss.

"We're having a baby! This is amazing…"

Natasha put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away, "Steve…I'm not keeping it."

His expression of elation slowly fell into one of confusion as he digested her words, "What? What do you mean?"

"I'm going to have an abortion." When he still looked confused, she remembered that he came from a generation in which the term 'abortion' was not widely used. She closed her eyes and sighed, "There are medical procedures…safe ones…that will terminate pregnancies. The earlier, the better. I have an appointment Friday."

Steve shook his head, "I don't understand…why?"

She rubbed her forehead and shut her eyes tight as she began pacing in front of him, "I'm a spy, Steve. This life I live is in no way, shape, or form conducive to being pregnant OR raising a child. It's not smart, Steve…it's not safe."

By now, he looked confused, hurt and betrayed. He shook his head and shouted, "It's MURDER!"

When she jumped slightly, he calmed himself and lowered his head. He stayed silent for several moments before shaking his head and sitting down as he ran a hand down his face.

Natasha took a cautious step forward, "Steve…say something."

Steve looked up at her, "What do you want me to say? I'm a man living generations out of his own time with no friends, no loved ones, and no reason to live in a world that is more frightening and unfamiliar than I can even express…and then you come along...and I see a glimmer of hope. I see the possibility of happiness…and then, you tell me that you're pregnant. For that brief moment, I realize that I finally have a shot to have the life that was snatched away from me when I crash landed in that ice 60 years ago. More than becoming a soldier, I wanted to find a woman to fall in love with and have a family with her…and for a second, I thought you might be giving me that. I can be a father…I can have a baby with a woman…that I love."

Natasha's breath caught in her throat as she started to speak, but he cut her off, "…and just as soon as that dream comes to life…you tell me you're killing it…literally. I mean…I knew you were a killer, but I had no idea you'd be so quick to practice that skill against your own child…"

"Fuck you!" she hissed as she started to stomp away.

Steve quickly stood up and grabbed her wrist before she made it out of the room, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just…not sure how to process this."

She took the time to take calm her breathing as she took another step forward, "Steve…I've never wanted to be a mother. I'm a spy. It's who I am. It's what I do…it's all that I know."

"So that's all you are? There's nothing else to you? When you're 70 years old…is that what you're gonna be? You've never thought about bringing a child into the world and experiencing the miracle of parenthood?"

Natasha sighed, "I can't give up the only world I've never known for a life that I'm not made for. I don't have what it takes to be a parent."

"What makes you think you have to have everything it takes to be a parent? That's where I come in…I'd be there…every step of the way."

She turned away from him and shook her head. She felt the sting of tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she took a deep breath in an effort to regain control of her emotions, "I can't do this."

Steve took her hand, "Natasha…I swear to you. I will protect you both. I will help you…I'll be there for you every single moment. I know you're scared…but that's only because this is the unknown. I can be there for you…for us. Please give me a chance to be a father. Don't get rid of my baby…this could be our only shot…"

The words hit home. Up until now, this had been little more than an inconvenience…a growth…but now, Steve was referring to it as a baby…a child…a little girl or a little boy with her red hair or his sweet disposition.

His deep blue eyes pleaded with her before he lowered himself to his knees and hugged her around her waist, pressing his head to her stomach, "Please, Nat…don't kill our baby…"

Natasha closed her eyes before slowly bringing her hands to his head to gently run her fingers through his hair.

She'd killed dozens of men with her bare hands, helped save the world from an alien army and subdued some of the world's most dangerous criminals, but she'd never felt brave until this very moment, "Alright…let's do it."

Steve got up from his place on the floor and looked down into her eyes, "You're sure?"

Natasha nodded as he hugged her and kissed her.

After they made gentle love that night, he slept with her protectively curled in his strong arms.

She was so caught up in the craziness of her and Steve's intense discussion…she almost completely forgot the most important problem that plagued her situation…

Clint…and the fact that this baby might be his.

If she was going to do this, she didn't think she wanted Clint involved. If he was emotionally distant toward her, she could only imagine how unattached and unemotional he'd be toward a kid.

She turned over in Steve's arms to stare at his face and smiled as she ran a hand down his cheek. He blinked his eyes open and kissed her forehead before pulling her close and nuzzling her neck as he drifted back to sleep.

She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. This was Steve's child.

She'd decided to have this baby _because_ of Steve. He was warm, gentle, kind and more importantly...he wanted this baby more than anything.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

The morning after "the decision", Natasha heard and felt Steve get out of bed, get dressed, and then leave.

Was he running already?

For several minutes after he left, she just lay there, hugging her pillow before finally pulling herself out of bed for a shower. By the time she made her way to the kitchen, Steve was walking back into her apartment, holding two bags.

She smiled, "Hey…you went to the store?"

He nodded, "Just to get breakfast…and to the pharmacy on the corner."

"The pharmacy?"

Steve set the beg on the counter and pulled out a bottle of pills and a book, "Prenatal vitamins…and one of those pregnancy guide books. The lady behind the counter said it was the best one, so..." Natasha picked up the bottle of pills and the book and stared at them. Steve noticed her silence and took a step forward, "Something wrong?"

"This is really real…I mean…I'm—we're gonna do this."

Steve slowly took the bottle and book out of her hand as she looked up into his face. He ran his hands down her arms and looked into her eyes, "It's gonna be alright, Nat."

She leaned forward and laid her head against his chest as he enveloped her in a comforting embrace and gently stroked her hair. Steve kissed the top of her head as she sighed, "Fury says I'm supposed to go on a mission tracking terrorist cells in Pakistan at the end of the month."

He stopped stroking her hair and leaned back, "We have to tell him."

Natasha shook her head, "We can't tell Nick Fury anything."

"Well, you sure as hell aren't gonna go traipsing after terrorists while you're pregnant with my child."

"Calm down there, cap. Might I remind you that this is not 1942?"

Steve let out a sigh, "I know. I'm sorry, and I know you're just as strong, smart and capable as any man…but whether you want to admit it or not…you're in a delicate condition."

She anxiously ran a hand through her hair, "Ok. You need to calm down. I JUST agreed to have this baby and you're already freaking me out with all these lifestyle changes, and the pills and the books…ugh! Can you just give me a second? Just a moment to get used to the idea that I'm turning my entire world upside down?!"

He nodded as she snatched breakfast off the counter, stomped into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Steve stood in the empty kitchen for a second, dumbstruck and rooted in his spot. Slowly, he picked up the book and sat down as he began reading the first chapter.

_"Thanks to hormonal changes that affect neurotransmitters, as well as conflicting feelings about impending motherhood, it is very common for women to experience mood swings throughout their pregnancy."_

Steve looked in the direction of Natasha's closed door and sighed, "Well…guess that explains that…"

* * *

The following week, Clint returned from his mission in Europe. Natasha wished she could continue to avoid him, but when Fury called an urgent meeting at SHIELD, she knew her time was up.

Before she left for the meeting, she rummaged through her closet in an effort to find an outfit that drew attention away from her belly…but unfortunately, every article of clothing she owned was made to hug every curve of her body.

She ignored Steve when he tried to convince her that no one would know and that she didn't look anymore pregnant than he did, but his declarations fell on deaf ears.

As far as her mind was concerned, she looked huge and Clint would know she was pregnant as soon as he laid eyes on her.

When she walked into the conference room, Clint was already there, sitting down. He stared at her as she sat down across from him and crossed her arms across her flat stomach.

Soon after Tony arrived, Fury took his place at the front of the room, "I've called you all here because there's been a severe security breach in Washington." He paused as he pressed a button that made the projection screen behind him flicker to life. On the screen was a picture of, what looked to be, a mosquito, "This is our enemy's newest weapon. This little thing may look like an insect to the naked eye, but it's actually an artificial intelligence device equipped with microphones and cameras."

"How do we know these little mosquito-bots don't have anything to do with the Vice President's failed coup attempt?" asked Tony.

"We don't. We have samples on their way to Stark Tower as I speak. I'm sure Tony has spread the good news that you'll all be put up in apartments in his building, and move-in day is today. I need the team on top of this and working around the clock without any distractions. I want everyone to report to the Tower in an hour. Bruce, you'll be analyzing data with Tony. Natasha, Clint…I want you to try to track accomplices of the perps you subdued back at that warehouse and gather them for questioning. Steve, I want you to draw up a tactical proposal that tells me exactly how many of these little bastards our enemy would need if they were attempting to gather useful intel from all three branches of government."

Now that everyone had their orders, they went their separate ways…well, they should have. Clint followed Natasha out as Steve watched carefully.

Clint's voice was low as he spoke, and the stoic look on his face was in stark contrast to the urgency in his tone, "I've been trying to reach you for days...weeks. Where have you been?"

"Busy."

"Don't give me that. Something is going on with you."

She looked around, "Now is not the time, and it sure as hell isn't the place."

"Well, seeing as how hard it is for me to get in contact with you, I'd think now was as good a time as any."

Natasha pursed her lips, "I think we should wait until we're somewhere more private to talk."

Clint slowly relented and nodded before walking away from her.

Steve wanted to follow her when she left SHIELD, but for now, he had to respect her wishes to keep their relationship, and her pregnancy, under strict wraps.

She returned to her apartment to quickly pack a bag, then reported to Stark Tower. She was the first one to arrive, so Pepper showed her to her apartment. As Pepper finished showing her around, Natasha nodded, "So…is Jarvis' watchful eye in here too?"

Suddenly, the kindly old English accent sounded through the PA system, "I'm not quite used to Ms. Romanoff's voice signature yet, Ms. Potts. Am I needed here?"

Pepper smiled knowingly at Natasha, "No. Thank you, Jarvis."

Natasha sighed a little, "Is there a way to turn him off?"

"Um…I'm sure there is, but that would probably be like asking Tony to kill a beloved family pet, so…"

Natasha smiled and held up a hand, "I understand. I'm fully aware of Tony's attachment to his toys and technology."

Pepper sighed, "Truth be told, I'm really glad you're here. I was afraid I was going to be surrounded by a bunch of testosterone once Tony let me know the team would be moving in."

"Well, I hope I provide enough estrogen for you. I'm not really your typical girly-girl."

"At least you have a uterus."

Natasha shifted a little, "Yep. That I do."

Tony arrived, "I would apologize for interrupting girl talk, but I'm pretty sure Natasha doesn't know how to speak chick."

Pepper elbowed him as he put an arm around her shoulders, "I was just going to leave Natasha to settle in."

"Yeah. And I was hoping you could limit Jarvis'…interaction…in my apartment."

Tony cocked his head to the side, "Have something to hide, Agent Romanoff?"

"I'm a spy. Secrecy is in my nature. There's a reason I chose to live in a regular apartment rather than SHIELD's dormitory. I value my privacy."

"Point well taken. I'll see what I can do."

When Tony left her apartment, he went to his office and closed the door, "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to keep a close eye on Ms. Romanoff, but keep it on the down low. I don't want her unpacking skeletons in any closets in this building."

"I'll be sure to keep a keen eye, sir."

When Clint made it to the tower, he patiently let Pepper and Tony show him to his apartment, then immediately sought out Natasha so that they could finish their talk.

She knew he would be her first stop when he arrived, so she wasn't surprised when he knocked on her door.

"Hey."

Natasha opened the door wider and let him in before closing it behind him.

Clint turned around, "So…let's start with the fact that you've been blatantly avoiding me."

She looked away, "I've been busy."

"I call bullshit."

Natasha sighed, "Fine. I've been avoiding you because I needed time away from you. I told you I didn't want to keep going on the way we were, and less than five minutes later, you're on top of me."

"You know about my past, Nat. You know why it's hard for me to open up. I thought you'd be patient. You're not necessarily a beacon for emotional honesty."

She shook her head, "It doesn't matter. It's too late for that…"

"Why?" When she didn't answer him, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him, "Why is it too late, Natasha?"

She started to speak, but a knock on the door forced them to separate so that she could walk over to the door to find Nick Fury standing there.

"We've found a source that's willing to talk. I want you two and Rogers to rendezvous and bring them here for safekeeping."

Clint nodded, and luckily, neither of the men noticed the concerned look on Natasha's face as they filed out of the room.

Natasha was partially relieved to see Steve downstairs beside the SHIELD issued black SUV. He gave her a look of concern as she approached, "You up for this?"

She nodded, "It's just a pick-up. Should be smooth sailing."

An hour later, Clint, Natasha and Steve drove up to a dark shipyard in Brooklyn. Clint parked the car, "Let's have a look around."

"Um…maybe it would be best if Natasha stayed in the car? We can make a quicker getaway if someone is ready to go in the driver's seat." said Steve as he tried to keep the desperation and concern out of his voice.

Clint gave him a funny look, then looked at Natasha, "You good with that?"

She nodded, "Yeah. That's fine."

Steve and Clint got out of the car and began looking for their informant. They eventually found him cowering behind some crates.

"Director Fury sent us. We're here to take you some place safe."

The man, who looked as though he hadn't slept in ages, shook his head feverishly and jerked away when Steve tried to approach, "No! They're here! Nowhere is safe! They find you…and your families! They wanna take over the world…and you know what? They're gonna!"

"Sir, just calm down. You'll be safe if you just come with us", said Steve soothingly.

The closer they got, the more hysterical the man got.

When the man stood up, he was met with a bullet to the head. Steve and Clint immediately ducked for cover as they both attempted to locate the origin of the gunshot.

"I heard a gunshot. Are you boys OK?" came Natasha's voice over their communicators.

"We're fine. I wish I could say the same for our informant. He was shot by an unidentified assailant. What do you see, Hawkeye?"

Clint stole a peek over the boat he was ducking behind, "The shot came from that abandoned building…but they've got a pretty decent head start on us already."

"I got movement!" shouted Natasha over the communicator.

Steve and Clint took off toward the SUV and jumped in. Natasha gunned it after the fleeing vehicle as it pulled onto the main road and began darting in and out of traffic.

Steve glanced at her, "Careful…"

She gave a quick nod as she sped up, darting past several cars. When they got closer to the vehicle they were pursuing, the assailant stuck his hand out of the front window and began firing shots.

Steve glanced behind them and noticed a sedan speeding up and driving erratically, "Uh…I think we got company."

"Shit…" muttered Natasha.

Clint opened the sunroof and stood up before shooting an exploding arrow at the car's back wheel. It exploded and immediately crippled the vehicle, causing it to lose control and crash.

The car behind them sped up as the men inside began firing on their vehicle.

Steve drew his own side arm and began firing, but did little to deter their attackers. One of the bullets hit their front tire, which caused the SUV to swerve a little, but Natasha was somehow able to keep it under control.

They drove beside them, and just as Clint was about to land a shot, they slammed into the SUV, causing the disabled vehicle to careen out of Natasha's control.

The SUV spun off of the road, then down into an embankment, hitting a tree.

Steve shook his head in an effort to regain his bearings once they hit the tree. His first thought went to Natasha, who was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious.

Clint groaned and stretched his battered limbs, but seemed to be OK outside of the stray cut or bruise.

Steve panicked and jumped out of the back seat to rush to Natasha's side, "Nat…can you hear me?"

Clint joined him and checked her pulse, "She's alive. Probably a concussion."

"We have to get her to a hospital."

Steve called 911, and within minutes, Natasha was being rushed into an emergency room. Clint told them that her name was Natalie Rushman instead of using her real name. As she was wheeled back for treatment, Steve and Clint were forced to stay in the waiting area.

Clint stepped outside to call Fury and let him know what happened just before one of Natasha's nurses walked up to him, "You came in with Ms. Rushman?"

"Yes. Is she alright?"

"The doctor is examining her now. Do you know of any medications she's currently taking?"

Steve lowered his voice, "Prenatal vitamins…she's pregnant."

The nurse nodded and scribbled down some notes on her clipboard, "Alright. Any allergies?"

"Not that I know of…um…will the baby be alright? The crash was pretty violent."

"We don't know anything yet, sir. I'll update you as soon as possible."

Clint returned just moments later, "Well Fury is sufficiently pissed...and should be here any minute. Any news on Nat?"

Steve shook his head, "Not yet."

They sat in the living room for an hour or so before a nurse came out, "You came with Ms. Rushman?"

They both nodded and stood, "Yeah. How is she?"

"Just a concussion. We'll want to keep her for observation for the next day, but she should be clear to go home by tomorrow. She's awake now and the baby is just fine. The doctor will probably just want her to take it easy for a few days and follow up with her Obstetrician."

Steve's eyes widened as Clint stuttered, "B-b-baby?"

"Thank you, ma'am", said Steve, quickly cutting in to distract her from Clint's shocked reaction at the news.

When she walked away, Steve turned around to face the flabbergasted Clint. He still seemed to be in shock, so Steve stepped in front of him, "Clint-"

"She's pregnant. She's pregnant? Why didn't she tell me?"

Steve sighed, "We wanted to keep it quiet until-"

Clint's head snapped up, "We? What the hell do you mean…_we_?"

Steve stuttered, "We…I mean…Nat and I…"

Clint narrowed his eyes, "You…and Nat?"

"I think she was waiting for the right time to tell you."

The archer's jaw clenched as he crossed his arms, "Oh? Is that right? Well…maybe now is the right time to tell you that Natasha and I had sex…about two months ago."

Steve stared at Clint's angry, flashing eyes, "So…you're saying…"

Clint ignored his words as he shook his head in disgust and placed a hand against his temple, "How long has this been going on?!"

"Maybe we should take a step back and avoid discussing the details."

"Oh, is that inappropriate? The woman who I thought I had a future with is pregnant, and there's a chance that I'm not the father."

Steve crossed his arms, "You thought you had a future with her? I'm sure that would be news to her!"

"Nat knows how I feel about her."

"Does she? How would she? Have you ever _said _anything?" When Clint remained silent, Steve nodded at his confirmation, "Of course you didn't…but you wanna know what? I have. Natasha knows EXACTLY how I feel about her. I've shown her with every look…with every word…with every touch."

As soon as Steve got those last two words out, Clint swung at him, landing a punch to the side of his face.

The punch would have laid out any other man, but Captain America only stumbled back a half step. He let out a deep breath, "Don't do that again, Clint."

The two men stood there, staring at each other for several moments until Tony and Nick walked in. They noticed the tension between the two and approached cautiously.

Nick looked between them, "What's going on here?"

Steve broke eye contact with Clint and looked at Fury, "Natasha has a concussion. She should be released tomorrow."

Tony raised an eyebrow, "All this fuss over a concussion? Fury, you can have her released, right?"

Clint and Steve exchanged looks before Steve stepped forward, "It's probably best she stay here, sir."

Nick crossed his arms, "Captain, it's not a regular day at SHIELD unless someone comes back with a concussion. This is a routine injury as far as I'm concerned."

Clint stepped forward, "I agree with Rogers, sir. The wound on her head was rather nasty. In my opinion, we should allow Natasha to stay in a place where she can be monitored by a staff of experienced doctors."

Tony gave them both a peculiar look before Fury nodded thoughtfully, "Fine. But I want a full account of this botched mission right now."

Clint sat down with Fury as Steve left the waiting room to go to the bathroom and grab himself a cup of coffee. As he passed the nurse's station, he heard one of them talking, "Ms. Rushman, in 204 complained of nausea. Do we have any Zofran up here?"

Steve made his way to her room and opened her door. She was sitting up in bed with a bandage on her head as a nurse took her blood pressure.

Natasha perked up slightly, "Steve…"

He smiled a little as he sat down beside her, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Ok, I guess. I got a pretty bad headache."

The nurse smiled and removed the cuff from her arm, "That's normal. The meds should help a little, but we can't give you the good stuff since you're pregnant."

When the nurse left, Natasha sighed and leaned back as she placed a hand on her flat stomach, "When I woke up here…I was scared...about the baby. I was actually really concerned about it. I didn't know that feeling would come so soon. I went from not even being totally sure I wanted it...to being terrified of losing it."

Steve sighed and lowered his head. She furrowed her eyebrows, "Is everything alright?"

There was a torturously long moment of silence before he slowly looked up to meet her eyes and let out a deep sigh, "Why didn't you tell me that the baby might be Clint's?"

Natasha's eyes widened before she shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her hands. When she finally mustered up the courage to look him in the face again, her eyes were glistening slightly, "I didn't tell you because…I wasn't going to have it until you made me see the beauty in this crazy…truly unexpected circumstance. You're the reason I am going to have this baby. You made me want this. I knew that if I was going to do this with you, I'd never be hurt or alone, and more importantly, my kid would be loved and taken care of…so I chose not to tell you because…either way you look at it, I'm going to be a mother because of you…"

Steve gently took her hand before he leaned over to gently kiss her lips, "I wish you would've told me…"

"I don't know what I was thinking keeping that from you. I'm so sorry."

He lowered his head again, "I was really looking forward to becoming a father…now I feel like that might not happen. Feels like I just got robbed of something."

She shook her head, "Please…Steve…it might be yours."

"But we can't be sure…until we're sure…right?" She nodded as he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, "I know I don't really have a right to say anything because, when this started, we did agree that it was just sex…but I have to ask why…"

Natasha fiddled with the edge of the blanket that covered her legs, "I wish there was an explanation in the world that could placate you, Steve…I really do…but somehow, I don't think you'll like my admission that I'm powerless to resist a man who has held my life in his hands on more than one occasion. I'm weak…it's not more complicated than that. Maybe that's why I cut off all communication with him. I was afraid of getting sucked in again..."

"So…if this baby is his…and you're forced to interact with him on a daily basis so that you can parent this kid together…where does that leave us?"

She stared into his pleading eyes for a few moments before her door opened. Tony walked in with a cheesy-looking gift basket he probably purchased from the gift shop in the hospital. Natasha forced a smile as Steve quickly sat back and cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Nat. They didn't have any vodka…but I doubt you'd be wanting any of that…seeing as how you're probably already feeling like you have a hangover."

She smiled weakly, "Thanks."

Tony looked between the two of them, "Am I interrupting something? I'm kinda getting a funky vibe here."

Steve shook his head, "Nope. I was just leaving."

"Really?" she said before she could stop herself. She hadn't meant to say that…and she certainly hadn't meant to sound so desperate and disappointed at the announcement of his departure.

Tony noticed her tone of voice and raised a brow at Steve, "You stay, cap. I've gotta call Pepper. She's been wanting minute-by-minute updates on your condition."

"Thanks again, Tony."

Steve sat by her bedside in silence for several moments after Tony left, and watched as she eventually fell asleep. He stood and walked to the doorway as Clint entered the room and stared at her sleeping form, "How is she?"

"Tired, achey…but she's gonna be fine."

Cline nodded, "What about the baby?"

"The ultrasound didn't reveal any problems with the pregnancy."

Clint looked surprised, "You saw the ultrasound?"

Steve shook his head, "No. She only told me."

"Oh."

The two men stood there awkwardly for a few second before Steve let out a slight groan, "Look, Clint…it looks like our paths are gonna keep crossing where Natasha's concerned, so let's just do our best to be civil and concentrate on getting her through this, OK?"

Clint nodded, "Fine."

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**The more you review, the more I write! **

**To my faithful reviewers: someone asked about another Rogan story- I will think one up as soon as I find my muse and am able to finish "A Good Soldier". Thank you so much for reading my stories. I hope you're enjoying this one!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi all! Thanks so much for all of your reviews/feedback (please keep them coming). I have this little mini-chapter available for you because I thought it would be good to lay some ground work for some upcoming events in the story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When the nurse woke Natasha up two hours after she fell asleep, she had to fight the urge to threaten the poor woman with bodily harm. After her blood pressure was taken and she was asked a series of questions to test her head injury, Clint walked in.

Natasha stiffened, but he held up a hand, "I'm not here to cause any trouble."

She couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips, "You never mean to, Barton…"

Clint let out a brief, soft chuckle as he sat in the chair beside her, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

He nodded and looked down at his feet before looking back up at her, "I guess you know that I know about the baby…Steve made it sound like you're sure you're keeping it."

Natasha nodded, "I am."

Clint continued, "…and you know that I know about you and Steve."

She shifted uncomfortably in the bed, "Steve wants to be a father. It's something he's always wanted, really. So it works out perfectly…for all of us."

Clint looked angry and hurt as he placed a hand against his own chest, "Did you even think about how I might feel in this situation?"

"Ya know, Clint…I tried to. But then I realized that, despite the fact that we've been partners for years…despite the fact that we've slept together more times than I can count, I had absolutely NO idea how you might feel in this situation."

He sat back and clasped his hands together in his lap, "It's not like I know what's in your head, Nat."

"Maybe we're just too much alike", she said sadly.

Clint ran his hands through his hair, "What do you expect me to do if this baby is mine?"

Natasha shrugged, "You don't have to pretend that this is something you want, Clint. If the baby is yours, you won't be under any obligation to deal with it."

"So that's that, then? You get to push me out of your life and out of this kid's life without a second thought?"

"This isn't what you want, Clint. You can't lie to me, or yourself about that."

He crossed his arms and stared at her thoughtfully, "Like you said, Nat…you don't know what I feel about this." After a long pause, he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward a little, "What are you gonna do about Fury and your job?"

"I don't know yet. But I'll be OK."

"You weren't tonight."

Natasha nodded, "I'm going to be more careful."

"Please do", he said as he stood.

"I'll give you a week to tell Fury. After that, I'm going to have to say something."

Her eyes widened, "What? Why would you do that."

"Aside from the fact that you're putting the team in danger by not being at your best? You're putting yourself in danger while you're carrying a kid you said you wanted to have and raise…No one will be happy if anything happened to you."

Clint left the room, leaving Natasha to feel confused and nervous by what her future held.

The next day, after a long, restless night, Steve arrived to pick her up from the hospital.

He'd packed some sweats for her to wear home, so he waited while she changed in the bathroom. He aimlessly wandered around the room and glanced down at the food tray where her discharge papers were.

Steve cocked his head to the side when he saw a sliver of black paper peeking out from behind one of her papers. He slowly slid the little piece of paper out and found himself face-to-face with Natasha's ultrasound picture.

The fuzzy picture barely resembled a human being…but he could tell that he was looking a baby. Possibly his baby…

He was still staring at the picture when Natasha emerged from the bathroom, "Ugh. I can't wait to get the hell out of here so that I can finally-"

She stopped talking when she saw Steve staring at the ultrasound picture. He glanced up at her, "It's really small..."

Natasha nodded and walked over to him to look at the picture with him, "Yeah. It's barely got arms and legs yet."

Steve stared at her for a few moments before pulled her to him, "How do you feel?"

"Aside from the neverending headache?"

"I mean…emotionally. I know you and Clint had a chance to talk last night."

Natasha shook her head, "Well, as usual, I have no idea what he's feeling or thinking. I do know that he's given me a week to tell Fury that I'm pregnant. Otherwise he's going to take it upon himself to spill the beans."

Steve's eyes widened, "Why would he do that?"

"I guess it's his way of expressing his concern for the baby…and for me. The sooner Fury knows I'm pregnant, the sooner I'm put on desk duty and taken out of the line of fire completely."

He nodded, "I actually think that's a good thing…at least until the baby's born."

Natasha picked up her bag of belongings, "You're right…ready to go?"

"Right this way…"

When they got back to the tower, Natasha had a tray of food waiting in her room. She figured Pepper had set it up for her, so she quickly ate, took a long bath, and promptly laid down in bed.

Despite her exhaustion, she ended up tossing and turning for an hour. She'd pretty much given up on sleep by the time she heard a knock on her door.

"It's open!" she yelled as she sat up on the edge of her bed.

She heard Steve call her name from the living room, "Nat?"

"In the bedroom."

Steve walked in, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Quite the opposite. I can't sleep."

He furrowed his brows in concern, "I thought you said you were tired."

"I am."

Steve gave her a thoughtful look before he slipped out of his shoes and removed his shirt. She watched him with great curiosity as he laid down in her bed and opened his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you get some rest."

She quirked an eyebrow before slowly and hesitantly climbing into bed with him.

Almost as soon as she laid down with him, her body began to relax. She inhaled his scent and closed her eyes.

Damn…he smelled so good…and his arms felt so good around her.

He kissed her cheek and gently stroked her hair as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Steve watched her as she slept for several moments until he slowly let his hand drift down to her flat belly. He gently spread his fingers over her stomach and closed his eyes, "I hope you're mine, kid…"

Steve and Natasha were both blissfully unaware of the fact that Tony was watching their intimate moment from his office.

The billionaire was now let in on the big secret.

"What do you mean she's PREGNANT?!" shouted Pepper.

It took every ounce of Tony's will power to keep from actually clamping his hand over her mouth. Instead, he very animatedly gestured with his hands for her to lower her voice.

She covered her own mouth and cringed apologetically, "Sorry. But seriously…Natasha Romanoff…the Black Widow. She's pregnant?"

"Yes. With Steve's baby."

"STEVE?!"

Tony rolled his eyes at Pepper's lack of volume control yet again. The woman could keep her cool while helping him run a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, but as soon as you give her a juicy bit of gossip, she dissolves into chick-fit.

"See? This is why I can't tell you anything. No volume control."

Pepper apologized again, "I'm sorry. I promise I got all my screams out…so her and Steve?"

"That surprises you?"

She shrugged, "I guess I thought her and Clint had a…thing."

"I've actually known about the Steve-thing for a while. I couldn't tell you because I was sworn to secrecy."

Pepper raised a brow, "Hm. Wonder why."

"I'm only human. I couldn't even keep the fact that I was Iron Man to myself…and my life literally depended on that. How the hell do they expect me to keep a juicy tidbit like this to myself?"

She acknowledged him with a deadpan expression and monotone voice, "You're right. They should have known better."

"I know, right? I mean, if you—"

He was cut off when Pepper smacked his forehead, "Tony! This is why Fury didn't want you around SHIELD in the first place, AND, this is why you don't have very many real friends."

"I can't let people close. I'm a very important person."

"…who can't keep his mouth shut about other people's business." Tony rolled his eyes as she grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes, "These Avengers…your teammates…are the closest thing you've had to family since your dad died. Don't breach their trust or meddle, OK?"

Tony sighed, "Ok."

Pepper smiled and kissed his lips, "Good boy."

As she got up and walked to the bathroom, he called after her, "You never let me have any fun!"

Three days after being released from the hospital, Natasha's morning sickness kicked in. Funnily enough, she happened to have a meeting with the team and Fury that day, so she found it almost amusing that she couldn't stop throwing up on the one day she had work related shit to do.

Clint stopped by her apartment to see if she was going to choose today to tell Fury about her pregnancy.

"Hey. On your way to the meeting?" she asked as she tried to keep herself from dry heaving.

"Yeah. I was just coming by to see…are you OK, Nat?"

She shook her head, "I guess I have morning sickness."

"Oh…damn. I'm sorry. You do look a little ill."

"Gee. Thanks", she said sarcastically.

Clint glanced at the clock, "The meeting starts in two minutes. Think you can make it?"

"I have to."

He paused for a brief moment before he spoke again, "Are you going to tell him today?"

"I thought I had four more days, Warden."

Clint smirked, "I'm not a warden…I'm your partner…and maybe the father of your baby."

She sat down and looked up at him, "Have you ever wanted to be a father?"

He looked into her eyes for a moment before he looked away, "I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have a few fleeting thoughts about one day having a family…but I guess I trained myself not to think about the possibility since it seemed so unreachable."

"Why was it unreachable?"

Clint seemed to force himself to look at her as he spoke, "The only woman I could ever see myself with…was a spy, living her life just as dangerously as I live mine. That's not necessarily a smart situation to bring a kid into."

Natasha's eyes widened as he headed toward the door, "We should go. We're late."

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	8. Chapter 8

Natasha had waited until the very last day to tell Nick Fury about her impending visit from the stork.

Steve insisted on going with her, but she claimed she would be fine on her own, so here she was, standing in front of his office door, fidgeting uncharacteristically.

Nick glanced up, "Agent Romanoff. Come in."

She slowly stepped inside and stood before him, "I'm sorry to bother, sir."

"I figured it was important. You've never asked me for a private meeting before."

Natasha nodded, "It is important, sir."

"Have a seat."

"I prefer to stand."

Nick shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Natasha let out a breath, "I'm going to have to take another leave from field duty, sir."

Fury furrowed his eyebrows, "The three weeks you took mere weeks ago wasn't enough? I have people around here who haven't taken a vacation in decades. Myself included. What makes you think you're entitled to time off?"

"My pregnancy, sir."

Nick Fury was at a loss for words for the first time since meeting Loki. Natasha stared at him as his expression changed from shock, to confusion, then to disappointment, "How did you let this happen, Natasha?"

"I didn't think it could—I mean…my field work…and my leave…I just…never got my physical, so I unwittingly skipped my birth control injection, sir. It was not intentional…not at all. I mean...if I thought it was possible-"

"Why do I get the feeling that you're keeping it?"

She straightened, "You get that feeling because you're intuitive, sir. I am keeping this baby."

He leaned back in his desk chair and sighed, "I thought you were smarter than this, Romanoff."

"Sir, I-"

"I'm not referring to the fact that you ended up pregnant in the first place…which, I probably should…I'm referring to the fact that you're knowingly making yourself SHIELD's biggest liability. Once that baby's born, then he or she will be our biggest liability. You don't think you're going to be in danger once our enemies find out that the Black Widow is in a delicate condition?" Nick paused and shook his head before looking up at her, "Who's the father, Romanoff?"

"I don't think that I should have to—"

"Feel free to file a complaint with HR about me for prying into your personal life, but right now, I need you to remember that we aren't a accounting firm here. My goal is to protect the greater good, and if I feel that I need to know who your baby daddy is to do that, then you better tell me."

She looked down, "It's either Steve's…or Clint's."

Fury's good eye widened in surprise as he let out a brief laugh, "While you're down in HR, let me know what they say about sleeping with your co-workers."

Natasha stood there silently, wishing she could crawl into a hole, "I don't want this to affect the team, sir."

"I guess you should have thought of that before you bedded not one, but two of your teammates. I'm guessing those two are at each other's necks."

"They're getting along, sir…for now."

Fury leaned his head back, "So, not only have you put yourself at risk, but you've created a division in my team. Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't boot you out of SHIELD?"

"If you force me out, Steve likely follow…maybe Clint too…and there goes your team."

He smirked, "Well-played, Ms. Romanoff…fine. Consider yourself on desk-duty. But I want your pregnancy kept out of the public view. The more private it is, the less chance we have of kidnapping attempts on you or that kid. I don't want to have to use our resources to deal with that."

"Thank you, sir."

She started to leave, but Fury stopped her, "I'm sure you're on your way to talk to Rogers and Barton. Let them know that I'd like to see them…together."

Natasha tried to hide her shock at that request, "Um. Yeah. Sure."

She made her way back to the conference room where the team was gathered, pouring over maps and information regarding the new terrorist threat.

"Um…Clint. Steve…Director Fury wants to see you…both of you."

Tony raised his eyebrows as the two potential fathers-to-be looked at each other, stood and left the room.

Natasha plopped down in a chair and put her head in her hands, "This is a nightmare. It's a nightmare, and I'm going to wake up in five minutes."

Tony sat down next to her, "Man trouble?"

She slowly turned to look at him, "Please don't torture me with your sarcasm and wit, today. I might just have to smash your collar bone."

"That's…horribly specific. Why the long face, frowny-pants?"

Natasha stared at him for a second. He would know soon anyways, so she may as well let the cat out of the bag, "I'm pregnant."

Tony's bogus reaction was so ridiculous, she immediately knew he was faking it. She punched him in the arm with more force than she intended, causing him to grab his arm in anguish, "Ow!"

"You son of a bitch! How did you know?! Did Steve say something?"

Tony got up and began backing away from her as he gripped his throbbing arm, "I may have let Jarvis check in on you…"

"You little—"

"Only because I was concerned for the team!" he yelled before she could advance on him any more.

Natasha stopped herself as she struggled to gain control of her anger, "I should kick your ass, tin man!"

"All kidding aside, I'm very happy for you and Steve."

She cringed a little and plopped down, "It might be Steve…it might be Clint."

Tony's eyes widened, "You mean to tell me that…you don't know who your baby daddy is?"

If looks could kill, Pepper would be planning a funeral right about now. Natasha glared at him, "I may just actually kill you today, Stark."

Tony held up his hands in surrender and mimed zipping up his lips, "Pregnancy hormones. Deadly assassin. Got it."

"Glad you figured it out by yourself before I put you in a choke hold."

A few minutes later, Clint and Steve returned to the conference room. Steve looked at Tony, "Would you give us a moment?"

"Sure. Can I get anyone anything while I'm gone? Coffee, water…cigars?"

Both men gave him a peculiar look as Natasha fought the urge to kill him with the ball point pen she was now rolling in her fingers.

Steve closed the door to the room after Tony left and sighed, "Fury thinks it would be safer for you to stay in a safe house for the rest of the pregnancy."

Natasha crossed her arms, "He didn't tell me that."

"He said that you probably wouldn't listen to reason from him", said Clint as he leaned against the opposite wall.

"Where would this safe house be?"

Steve sighed, "We wouldn't know...unless an emergency arose."

"…and I'd have to go…alone?"

Clint nodded, "My guess is that he thinks if you're not here, you won't be a distraction to us…but I do agree. It would be safer for you, and the baby."

Natasha looked at Steve, who had his arms crossed across his chest, "I disagree. She's safer with us. We can protect her if anyone came after her. What if our enemies found out our safe house locations? She'd be a sitting duck."

Clint stared at her for a moment, "You don't have to answer right away, Nat."

She nodded, "Good…cause I have no idea what to do right now."

Back at the tower that evening, the team had dinner in Tony's pent house. The room was eerily quiet as everyone picked over their food. Natasha was feeling a little queasy, so she was doing little more than pushing her food around on her plate as she sipped on a glass of ginger ale.

Tony looked at everyone, "So. Who wants to talk about the giant pink elephant?" Pepper kicked him underneath the table, which caused him to yelp as she smiled apologetically at their dinner guests.

Natasha sighed, "It's OK, Pepper."

"In that case, do you have anything stronger than wine, Tony?" asked Clint as he pushed his plate away.

Natasha rolled her eyes, "I wish I could drink…"

Steve put a comforting hand on her back, "I'll stick with soda too."

"Of course you would", muttered Clint as Tony slid him a bottle of whiskey.

Steve glared at Clint, "Do you have a problem?"

"With you? Nooo. Of course not. Who would have a problem with Captain America?" said Clint as he took a sip from his drink.

Natasha sighed, "Guys…"

Steve leaned forward, "If you have something to say, now's the time to get it out, Barton."

Tony watched with great interest as Clint took another sip, "Alright, Rogers. Here goes…I think it's ridiculous that you walk around, acting like you already know you have this baby and Natasha in the bag."

"I've made it no secret that I care about her and that I want a future with her…you on the other hand…that's one of your best kept secrets. It's right up there with SHIELD pass codes."

Natasha held out her hands, "Alright, let's just take a step back and stop talking about me like I'm not in the fucking room…can we do that? I could still lay both of your asses out in less than 5 minutes, so don't you dare act like I'm just some chick you knocked up."

She quickly got up from the table and stomped out of the room.

About an hour later, Natasha had gotten out of the shower and was fixing herself a cup of water in her kitchen when she heard a knock at her door.

Steve stood there with a shopping bag, smiling hopefully, "I come bearing gifts…and an apology…for being such a jerk tonight…"

She let him in and closed the door behind him, "What's in the bag?"

He set it down on her couch and pulled down a large, odd-looking pillow, "This is a pregnancy pillow."

"A what?"

Steve shrugged, "The lady at the store said that it helps with all the back pain and hip pain your experience as the baby grows and puts pressure on your spine and pelvis."

"Oh…wow. Thanks. That's really…thoughtful of you", she said as she smiled and took the pillow out of his hands to examine it.

She let out a breath and set it down as Steve stepped up behind her, "I never want you to think that I believe you're anything less than the strong, amazing woman you are, Natasha…cause that's the woman I fell for."

Natasha turned around and looked up into his eyes.

Shit…there goes that weird, butterflies-in-the-belly feeling again. She got it every time she looked into those sky blue orbs.

He gently ran a finger down her face before leaning down to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and passionately reciprocated the kiss. He opened her robe and yanked the fabric off of her shoulders before he trailed kisses down her neck and picked her up to carry her to the bed.

When they reached the bedroom, she straddled his hips and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She reached into his shirt and ran her fingers down his impeccably sculpted chest.

He gently kissed her chin and whispered, "It's been a while, beautiful…I've missed you."

She smiled and kissed him back as she unbuttoned his pants, "I've missed you too…"

Within moments, they were both naked. Natasha slowly lowered herself onto his hard member and gasped at the pleasure of him moving inside of her.

Steve gripped her hips and closed his eyes as he fought hard not to lose control of his body. She felt so good…too good.

Natasha began slowly rolling her hips onto him as he leaned down to suckle one of her swollen breasts.

She cried out and began moving against him faster as his teeth grazed against her sensitive nipple. Natasha rode him harder and harder for a few more moments until he flipped them over and settled between her legs. He slowly began pumping into her as he looked down into her eyes, "Nat…god…you're so beautiful…"

She pressed her forehead against his as she felt her climax building, "Baby…cum with me…"

Soon, he was as he practically howling her name through his intense orgasm.

Minutes later, they lay there in the afterglow of their lovemaking, content and comfortable in each other's arms.

She kissed his chest and looked up at him, "Do you consider yourself a breast, boob or leg man?"

Steve looked at her with a mischievous smile, "All of the above, I guess."

"Really? You don't favor one female body part over the other?"

"Well, I dunno…let's see…" Natasha giggled as he pulled the blanket back and laid gentle kisses on each of her breasts, "Well…these are amazing…obviously." He then moved to her legs and kissed each of her thighs, "And...these, are perfect…" Natasha leaned down to run a hand through his hair as he pulled the blanket away from her stomach, "But right now…I think this is my favorite body part." He gently laid a kiss on her stomach.

She smiled and stared at him, "Is that so? Do you always have a thing for stomachs?"

"Well, I do come from a generation in which they weren't flaunted as much as they are now…but that aside…I have a feeling that this stomach has something very special to me inside of it…"

Natasha's stroking of his hair slowly stopped as she sighed and closed her eyes. He furrowed his eyebrow in concern, "You OK?"

She pursed her lips together, "I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant."

"What?"

"Well…that's what I was told. I never tried it before. I always took birth control as a precaution because I didn't know if the Russian scientists who hacked me up all those years ago could be trusted…"

Steve smirked as he lay another kiss against her belly, "Well…maybe that's just proof that the baby is mine…or at least that this was meant to be."

"You think?"

"Super soldier…super sperm."

Natasha laughed softly, but her expression grew somber, "I have a feeling Clint wants this almost as bad as you do."

"What makes you think that?"

She shrugged, "He doesn't say it, of course…but I know him…"

Steve moved back up the bed to kiss her and wrap her in his protective embrace, "I need you to know that I want you to be with me…even if this baby isn't mine."

She turned her head to look into his eyes, "I do care about you…but I still need to figure out what I'm going to do as far as this safe house thing. Can I think about this for a while?"

He hid his disappointment as he nodded and kissed her lips before she settled down and fell asleep in his arms.

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**I'm so glad I was able to crank out one more chapter before the weekend was over! **

**Review please and keep sharing your thoughts/predictions on what might happen next!**


	9. Chapter 9

**So sorry for the long absence. Life has handed me a couple of curve balls and I've been really sick for a while, but I'm hoping that's all over! I hope you enjoy this update. I didn't have time to beta or really proofread myself, so I apologize for any mistakes/inconsistencies.**

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Everywhere she was, so was he. For the past 9 weeks, Natasha had a Captain America-sized shadow that followed her around everywhere she went.

Natasha was a woman who valued her privacy and alone time, so it took a ton of patience and self-control to keep herself from putting Steve in a chokehold just so that she could get some peace and quiet.

They kept their own apartments, so late at night, she still managed to sneak down to the gym to get a light workout in.

On this particular night, Steve was in need of a little late night "warmth" from her, so he went to her apartment. When he found it empty, he wandered the common areas before he followed his instincts down to the gym.

He nearly had a coronary when he found her running on the treadmill.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he rushed over to the treadmill and hit the emergency stop button. He gingerly caught her and pulled her into his arms to keep her from stumbling off.

"You're running….and you're pregnant!"

She nodded, "…and I feel fine. My doctor said it was OK."

"What kind of doctor would say that it's alright for a pregnant woman to run?!"

"A modern one", she said as Steve started to shake his head in protest. She dabbed at her chest with a towel, "Look, I know that, back in your day, women had to stay in bed for the duration of their pregnancies, but thanks to modern science, we know that's not necessary. In fact, it's discouraged nowadays. I'm healthy, the kid is healthy, and as long as that continues to be the case, I don't see why I have to change my lifestyle anymore drastically that I already have."

"I understand that, but—"

"But-nothing, Rogers! Do you KNOW how long it's been since I killed someone?"

Steve's eyebrow arched as he took a quick guess, "…two months?"

"11 weeks, 3 days and 14 hours! Being a spy…killing bad guys...it's what I do. It's who I am! You keep expecting me to turn into this pastel-wearing pregnant lady overnight and that's not going to happen!"

He held up his hands in an effort to calm her, "I understand that."

"You understand SHIT! I'm exhausted! I'm hungry all of the time and I'm FAT!"

Steve took her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes, "You're not fat. You're beautiful. So beautiful, in fact…I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Natasha narrowed her eyes skeptically, but when he laid gentle kisses on each of her knuckles and slowly pushed her hoodie off of her shoulders, all of the doubt she felt over his proclamation of her beauty had faded.

He leaned down and captured her pillowy lips in a loving kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned against his mouth.

When the kiss ended, she whispered, "Here? Right now?"

"Can you think of a reason why not?" he said with a smirk as he leaned down to kiss her again.

"I can", said a voice from the doorway.

They both looked at Clint and took a respectable step away from each other as the archer crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, "I wish I could say that I'm sorry for interrupting, but I'm really not."

Steve rolled his eyes as Natasha picked up her hoodie and sighed, "I'm going to bed. Try not to engage in a pissing match."

When the two men were left alone, Clint glared at Steve, "Never would have thought Captain America was the voyeuristic type."

"I'm not."

"Please. If I had walked in ten minutes later, I would have had to gouge my eyes out with my own arrows."

Steve groaned as he headed toward the door, "She was just working out."

"…lemme guess. You freaked out."

The older man turned around to cock his head to the side as Clint looked at him expectantly, "How did you know?"

Clint shrugged, "Cause I did too when I first saw her on the treadmill a couple of weeks ago. Then I remembered that she's a grown woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions…and that she's not just some 1940's dame. She's Natasha Romanoff. The last thing she wants are your oppressive, sexist, 1940-something ideals forcing her into your freaky deaky mold of the perfect woman."

"You think I'm sexist? I served under a woman before it was even acceptable to have females on active duty in the military, and I did so with respect and-"

"…and you fell in love with her. That right there kinda hints at your inability to separate the woman from the spy when it comes to Natasha. A guy knocks up a woman while he's on active duty and his buddies buy him a round and smoke some cigars with him. A woman gets knocked up…and her career is all but over."

"Natasha's career is far from over."

"Of course it is…cause she would never allow that."

Steve crossed his arms over his large chest, "You know her better than anyone…would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"Despite the definite awkwardness that question will bring…sure."

"…are you worried about how she'll handle motherhood?"

Clint raised a brow, "What makes you ask that?"

"I dunno…I guess it seems like she's a little resentful of the pregnancy sometimes…"

"Can you blame her? The only life she's ever known has included her being a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners, assassin. All of the sudden, that's snatched right out of her hands and she can't even work up a decent sweat at the gym. Regular women have a hard time adjusting to motherhood well after their kid is born…and I think we already know that there's nothing 'regular' about Natasha Romanoff."

Steve nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "I just want her to be happy."

Clint stared at him for a while and nodded, "Ok. Well…that was even more awkward than I thought it was gonna be. I'm gonna go get a drink…then go to bed and pray I forget this entire conversation."

On his way to his apartment, he began wondering if Steve really did deserve her more.

A few moments later, Natasha had gotten out of the shower, dried off and started to walk toward her closet. She caught a glimpse of her naked body in the full length mirror and stopped, "Holy shit."

Yeah…she had noticed her clothes had been fitting differently (see also: not buttoning worth a fuck), but she hadn't bothered to look at herself in the mirror. In fact, she had avoided it in an effort to hang onto the false belief that this baby wouldn't completely change her life as she knew it.

The evidence that that belief was complete shit was now staring at her right in the face…in the form of a tiny swell in her lower abdomen.

She slowly ran a hand over her stomach and tried to suck in, but no amount of posture or breath-holding would be enough to hide the evidence of her impending motherhood.

This baby was real, and it was going to be there in a matter of months.

The following day, Natasha was sitting with Pepper, helping her organize some paperwork since she'd completed all her SHIELD busy-work early. She received a call on her cell and recognized the number as her SHIELD-employed Obstetrician, so she left the room to take the call.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Romanoff? This is Dr. Stanley."

"Yes?"

There was a sigh on the other end of the line, "I have the results back from your quad screening…and they indicate that we may be dealing with the presence of an abnormality."

Natasha beat down the alarm she felt creeping into the pit of her stomach as she lowered herself into a nearby chair, "What do you mean?"

"It could be nothing, but due to the results, we'll require further testing to rule out the presence of a genetic abnormalities or chromosomal anomalies."

She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes, "Testing…what kind of testing?"

"In this case, I suggest an amniocentesis. The sooner, the better."

"Why is that?"

The doctor paused before he continued, "Typically, if there is a presence of a severe chromosomal anomaly, many expectant parents choose to terminate due to a low life expectancy or lack of quality of life. Seeing as how you're in your second trimester, it would be wise to proceed with testing sooner than later so that you will be able to make that choice…if that is what you want."

Natasha closed her eyes and sat back, "So…an amniocentesis. That's the one where you have to put the needle into my stomach?"

Steve chose that inconvenient moment to walk up. The alarm on his face told her that he'd heard what she'd said.

She stuttered a little as the doctor spoke, "Yes. It's an in-office procedure. The needle is guided by ultrasound and we'll take a very small amount of amniotic fluid for testing. You'll have to remain on bed rest for a couple of days afterwards since this test does come with a risk of miscarriage."

Natasha looked at Steve and sighed as she held a hand up, "Alright. When can we do this?"

"You can come in tomorrow morning at 9."

"Alright. I'll be there."

Natasha hung up the phone and looked at Steve who was staring at her with a mixture of alarm and expectation, "What's going on?! A needle in your stomach?!"

She shushed him urgently and yanked him into a nearby room. When she closed the door, she sighed, "I need you to calm down, OK?"

"Who's not calm? I'm calm. I'm the picture of calm-why were you asking someone about a needle in your stomach?"

Natasha pursed her lips and took a deep breath as she desperately tried to reign in the confusing, unfamiliar mixture of emotions she was feeling at that moment, "Um. One of the tests I took last week came back…and the results warranted further testing…because it means there might be something wrong with the baby."

Steve was a captain. He was trained to be a leader and the back bone of his team when things went wrong. He was trained for virtually every situation…except this.

Since he didn't know what else to do, he just grabbed Natasha and pulled her into a hug. He did it to comfort her…but moreso to comfort himself.

Natasha rested her head against his chest and slipped her arms around him as he pressed a kiss to her head, "It's gonna be OK."

She slowly lifted her head to look up at him, "But you don't know that. Maybe this is what the Russian doctors were talking about when they said I couldn't have kids. Maybe they knew I could get pregnant all along…but that I couldn't have a healthy child…"

He shook his head and gently brought his hand up to press her head back to his chest, "You're gonna be fine…this baby is gonna be fine."

"But what if it's not?" she said as she pushed back and pressed a shaking hand to her temple. She let out a deep breath and desperately worked to keep her emotions under control as Steve rubbed her arms.

Natasha shook her head, "I should've known something would be wrong. Women like me have no business becoming mothers."

Steve gently tilted her chin upwards, "You deserve everything you want and more…even a gift so precious as a child of your own. You've been working so hard to take care of this baby…you've changed your entire life around just to make sure this kid was healthy…you deserve this."

He gently pressed her against his chest and kissed her forehead again.

After a few seconds, Natasha maneuvered herself out of the embrace and sighed, "I should go find Clint to let him know."

Steve nodded, "Alright. When are you having the test done?"

"Tomorrow morning. At 9."

"Ok. I'm coming with you."

"You don't have to—"

He cut her off, "I'm going. Don't waste your breath fighting me on this. I'm sure you'll be fine I'm going because I need to be there."

She favored him with a half-smile before walking away to find Clint.

Natasha found him in the lab with Tony and Bruce, "Hey guys."

Tony glanced up from his computer screen, "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit? If it's about your missing pint of triple chocolate fudge chunk ice cream..." Tony didn't bother to finish his sentence, he simply bolted out of the room.

Bruce and Clint laughed and shook their heads, "Hey. How's it goin'?"

"Been better."

Clint's eyebrows raised in concern, "You OK?"

She sighed, "Can we talk?"

He nodded and escorted her out of the lab. As they walked the hall, she shoved her hands in her pocket, "I have to have an amniocentesis performed because one of my results came back…and they think it may mean the baby has a chromosomal anomaly."

"Oh god…I'm sorry, Nat."

She nodded, "It'll be OK…I hope."

"An amniocentesis? Is that the one where they—"

Natasha cut him off, "Yes, it's the one where they stick the needle directly into my stomach."

"Um…I was gonna ask if that's the one they can use to determine paternity…"

Her eyes widened, "Oh shit…"

After a brief talk with Steve and a call back to her doctor, it was confirmed that he could use the fluid to determine paternity. Both Steve and Clint would accompany her to the office the next day to provide blood samples that would be compared to the DNA inside of the amniotic fluid samples.

After a long day, Natasha decided to retire to her room early.

She stripped out of her clothes and left on her panties and fitted men's tank top. She stood in front of the mirror and rubbed her belly, "I hope you're OK, in there kid…"

A knock on the door forced her to put a robe on. When she opened it, Steve was standing there with a pint of her favorite ice cream, "I figured you would need some stress relief."

Natasha arched an eyebrow, "Is that stress relief coming in the form of you…or the ice cream?"

Steve couldn't help but blush, "That all depends on you."

She pulled him into her apartment and kissed him hungrily as he tossed the ice cream onto her kitchen counter.

Steve trailed kisses down her neck as he gently cupped her breast and whispered against her lips, "You up for this?"

"Are you?" she said as she cupped his manhood.

He gently took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles, "I'm serious, Nat. News like that is enough to knock anyone on their ass."

Natasha looked up into his eyes for a few seconds before looking away, "So, you want me to pour my heart out? Admit I'm scared?"

"I want you to do whatever you can to feel better."

"Then take off your pants", she said without looking at him.

Steve sighed and gently placed a hand on her back, "Natasha…you don't have to prove your strength to anyone…least of all me. I know how strong you are…but you're also human."

When she didn't speak, Steve let out a soft groan, "I'll admit it, Natasha. I'm scared. I'm terrified…for a lot of reasons. I'm scared this kid is mine. I'm scared this kid _isn't_ mine. I'm scared that something is wrong…and if it's not, I'm still terrified that I won't be a good enough father. I'm afraid I won't be enough for either of you."

When she turned around, her eyes had a soft glisten to them, thanks to the tears she refused to let fall, "I am scared. I'm terrified."

Steve pulled her into his arms and let out a breath, "I'm here. No matter what, I'm gonna be here for you."

The next day, when they arrived at her doctor's office, Steve was the first to be taken by the nurse to have his blood drawn. Clint stayed with Natasha in the waiting room and took a seat next to her, "You feeling ok?"

She shrugged a little and shook her head, "No really…but it is what it is. I just want to get it over with." Clint reached over and took her hand and gave a comforting squeeze as she sighed, "What if…what if something's wrong?"

Clint didn't know what to say. He sighed and shook his head, "Then…I know you'll have a hard decision to make…but you'll do what's best. I know you will."

Natasha had desperately needed a Steve-like positive affirmation of "it'll be OK" or "don't think like that". But Clint, being as jaded and world-weary as she, took a more realistic approach to her plight.

She bit her lip and nodded absently as a nurse walked up to her to escort her to her room for the amniocentesis.

She had just laid back on the examination table when Steve walked in, "Hey…they haven't done it yet, have they?"

She shook her head, "No. You got your blood drawn?"

He showed her the inside of his arm, which was bandaged, "All done."

Dr. Stanley walked in with a nurse, "Are we all ready?"

Natasha nodded, "Yes."

They flattened the table out so that she was laying flat on her back. She let out a nervous breath as Steve took her hand in his, "It's ok."

She quirked a half-smile, "I know. I know."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead as the nurse placed the ultrasound wand on her belly so that they could find a pocket of amniotic fluid for the extraction. Steve glanced up at the screen and gasped.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Steve smiled and shook his head, "Nothing. I'm looking at your ultrasound…"

"What does it look like?" she asked as she attempted to crane her neck, but was careful to stay still as the nurse continued to move the wand around her stomach.

"It looks like a baby", he said with a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll print off plenty of pictures for you to swoon over", said the nurse as she held the ultrasound want against her belly and noted the fluid pocket for the doctor.

Steve clutched her hand harder as the doctor unsheathed rather large needle. For a second, brave Captain America felt as though he would pass out.

Dr. Stanly poised the needle over her stomach, "Alright Natasha, the needle is going in in 3, 2, 1…"

As the doctor pressed the needle into her stomach, she remained silent and still, much to Steve's surprise. It took every ounce of strength in his enhanced body to keep from squeezing her hand tighter or passing out.

When the doctor removed the needle, the nurse placed a piece of gauze against her stomach, "Alright. You're done."

"That's it?" she said as Steve gently helped her sit up. No one noticed how flushed he was.

The doctor nodded as he capped the top on the fluid sample and handed it to the nurse before he pulled off his gloves, "We'll have your test results….all of them, back within a week or so. For the next couple of days, you're on strict bed rest and you will have to remain on pelvic rest for at least 3 to 4 days. That means no sex, exercise or heavy lifting for at least 72 hours."

"Ok, doc."

"You're going to make me fatter."

"You are not fat. You're gorgeous", Steve said as he kissed her lips.

She smiled and sighed, "The doctor said to take it easy for a _couple _of days. We're on day 9. I think I can walk myself to the kitchen."

Steve was busy setting a tray of breakfast food on her bed as she continued to scold him for keeping her confined to her bed for longer than necessary.

Despite her complaints, she genuinely appreciated his attentiveness and TLC. Clint took a more hands-off approach because he knew how much Natasha valued her independence and privacy. What he didn't understand was that pregnancy and impending motherhood was beginning to slowly chip away at her hardened shell. She was accepting help because she was gradually putting her baby's needs above her own.

He left for SHIELD headquarters for a few hours, then returned with the rest of the team at lunch time.

Steve found her working on some files Fury sent her, and escorted her to the common area on the upper floor and gently kissed her forehead as she sat down.

Clint watched them for a few moments before clearing his throat and entering the room. Steve straightened and nodded at the other man, "Clint."

"Steve. How you feelin', Nat?"

She shrugged, "Fine. I'd be up and around more if Nurse Rogers would take a break from guard duty."

A few minutes later, Tony and Bruce walked in carrying armfuls of Chinese takeout containers, prompting Natasha to practically rub her hands together as Pepper began handing out plates and chopsticks.

As their lunch wound down, Natasha's cell phone rang. She looked down at the screen and then to Clint and Steve, "We should take this in private."

Pepper hopped up, "Say no more. Tony, Bruce…"

She grabbed both men by the arms and dragged them out of the room as Natasha answered her phone, "Hello?"

Dr. Stanley's warm voice responded on the other line, "Hi Ms. Romanoff. How are you feeling today?"

"Great. A little nervous now."

"I can understand that. I can ease your fears by letting you know that, according to the results of your amniocentesis, your baby is perfectly healthy."

Natasha let out a sigh and smiled as she placed a hand on her forehead, "That's….that's great. Thanks."

"About those other test results…"

She looked up at Steve and Clint and began walking away from them.

Natasha slipped out of the room and finished her conversation with the doctor out of earshot of both men.

When the phone call ended, she rejoined them, "I…I want to talk to both of you in private…if that's OK."

They both nodded as she pursed her lips and looked to Clint, "Do you have time right now?"

"Sure."

"Steve, we can catch up later, OK?" she said before slowly walking away with Clint.

Steve looked deflated. For whatever reason, he took her desire to talk to Clint first as a sign that the baby wasn't his.

Clint and Natasha walked to her apartment and sat down in the living room, "So…it's awesome that the kid is healthy, huh?"

She nodded, "Yeah…and I know the sex."

"Already?"

"The doc ran a full genetic panel on the baby…and he asked if I wanted to know the sex. I said I did…so he told me."

He nodded, "What else came back?"

Natasha bit her lip and remained silent for a long time before she finally whispered, "I'm sorry, Clint."

Clint lowered his head and ran a hand through his hair, "So…it's not mine?"

She shook her head, "No."

Clint closed his eyes for a few moments before he nodded, "You know…this doesn't automatically mean you have to be with him."

Natasha sighed, "Clint...we're not in sync like that anymore…I'm not sure if we ever were. We used to be the same, but I have a kid to think about now…and I want to learn how to love…openly. Freely."

He clenched his hands together, "I guess it's too little, too late, huh?"

She sighed, "Clint…you never told me—"

"I know. I know. And I guess I'll live to regret that", he said as he stared at her wistfully. Clint moved his hand up to gently cup her cheek, "Do me a favor…teach your kid to follow their heart."

"Clint—"

"I know it sounds stupid and cliché…but those guys are the ones that get the girl. At least they are in this situation."

Natasha hugged him, but he cut the embrace short and walked away.

She felt awful about herself and what she had done to him, so she sulked away in her apartment for two hours…until Steve knocked.

As soon as she opened the door, he rushed in and started talking a mile a minute, "Ok. I know you probably are working on a way to tell me that the baby isn't mine, so I just thought that I'd save you the trouble and come down here so that we can just get it over with. It's not good for you to hold something like this in and be stressed."

Natasha sat down, "…and what am I holding in?"

"That…that..the baby isn't mine."

"Is that what you want?"

He shook his head, "No! Definitely not…but there's not much I can do."

"Well good. Because the doctor let me know that the baby is healthy…and it's yours."

Steve's expression of distress immediately transformed into one of elation, "It's mine?"

"Do you want to know what it is?"

"What?"

"The doctor asked if I wanted to know the sex. I said yes."

"I can't believe you wanted to know! I kinda want it to be a surprise…"

She shrugged a little, "It's not that big a deal…"

Steve laughed and shook his head, "I think you'll be singing a different tune in a few months."

Natasha crossed her arms, "So…now that you know you're going to be a father….to a healthy boy…or girl…are you happy?"

He took her in his arms and kissed her lips, "Very…"

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**I hope you enjoyed this update. I'll try to get another one up soon. If you hadn't noticed, the tone of this story will be a lot fluffier and funnier from now on because I want to chronicle the rest of Natasha's pregnancy, as well as Thor's return, and the team's continued/ever changing reaction to her pregnancy.**

**Review please!**


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